The first time, Craig let her off easy.
Angela had been particularly difficult that day, throwing a fit and demanding to be taken to the pool. Her incessant whining combined with a recent fight with Ashley had sent Craig on edge, so finally, he agreed. Ellie tagged along, of course, (these days they did everything together,) but she'd refused to join them in the cool waves, claiming something about "unmentionables" and "cesspools."
Mind elsewhere, he let it slide.
The second time, he raised an eyebrow.
They were there with Marco, Paige, and Alex. While the rest laughed and enjoyed the break from the heat- (okay, Paige squealed and insisted she remain dry, mentioning something about tanning, but Alex quickly disobeyed, pushing her in with a playful smirk)- Ellie watched from the sidelines, laughing with the rest but clad in a long dark-sleeved t-shirt and jeans.
"Okay, I know I joke around, but really, you're not a vampire. The sun won't fry you to bits, promise, hun." Paige said with a hint of snark.
"Thanks for clearing that up, Paige, it feels great to be informed." Ellie shot back with a roll of her eyes.
"Not to take sides, but just looking at you makes me hot." Marco said.
"Yeah, It's like, a thousand degrees outside." Added Alex.
Ellie rolled her eyes, shaking her head.
"Aw, El. Afraid to show some skin?" asked Craig with a suggestive eyebrow waggle.
"I just don't feel like it." Insisted Ellie, and they all shrugged, turning their attention away from the redhead. No one noticed how Ellie's fingers traced the length of her arm, a remorseful look on her face.
But he did.
The third time, he didn't take no for an answer.
They went alone, just the two of them, at urgings by Craig. It was late afternoon, and the pool was surprisingly empty, save for a bored looking lifeguard.
"Craig, really, I'm just not in the mood." Protested Ellie, blushing slightly as Craig, bare-chested, wrapped his arms around her, pushing her towards the changing rooms with a playful manner.
"Is it because you can't swim? Ellie, we can just splash around in the shallow end, you won't have to even get your hair wet."
"No, Craig. Seriously. Stop." She said the last word more forcefully than she intended, but it worked, he stepped away.
Craig stared at her with his clear, light eyes and, pursing his lips, he sighed. "Okay, Nash. What's your deal?"
Rolling her eyes, Ellie scoffed. "I do not have a deal, I just don't like swimming. What's so ground-breaking about that?"
"Ellie." He sighed. "You're my best friend. Don't pull that crap on me; I know there's something you're not telling me. Spill." He took a seat on one of the cheap plastic pool chairs, staring up at her expectantly.
"Okay. Fine." She took a deep breath. "A while ago, when you asked me if I was afraid to show some skin? You're right. I am." Craig looked at her, confused, but she held up a finger, continuing. "When I… Self-Injured, I didn't just cut on my wrist."
"What do you mean?" Craig's voice was quiet, thoughtful.
"My hips… Thighs… They're covered in scars." Ellie's voice cracked a little, and Craig was surprised. She was usually so nonchalant about her struggles. "It was someplace people couldn't see, and I just… Did it, I guess."
They sat in silence for a few moments, and Ellie clasped her hands, ashamed. With a small smile, Craig put a hand over hers. "Well. I guess that's more of a reason why you have to do this. C'mon, El. I've seen you in short sleeves all summer. This is no different. I promise."
She looked up, skeptical, but not pulling away.
"Besides. Just between you and I, I'm sure you're going to look amazing in a bikini."
After a few more moments of silence, she caved. "Fine."
He was sure this time he saw a blush.
Surveying herself in the full-body mirror, Ellie wondered how she could let Craig push her this far.
To be honest, Ellie hadn't worn a swimsuit in years. The one Craig had thrown at her was plain and bright red, the only design on it a slight fringe of black lace bordering the bottom of her top. While it was pretty, it was too embarrassing to not only have to deal with the fact that she had about as much curves as a twelve year old boy, but the scars.
The ones on her hips weren't so bad, they were raised and a faint white, easily hidden in her pale skin. It was the scars on her thighs that brought shame to her face. Those were a dark, ragged pink, violently and sporadically etched into her skin. Tracing an especially bad one, she bit her lip. There was no way she could do this.
Outside, Craig was getting impatient. He knew this was hard for Ellie, he understood that, but it hurt him that he couldn't make things better for her. Why didn't he have the power to make her comfortable? To take the scars away? They'd never really talked about her self-injury, but thinking back, it didn't surprise him that she'd done it other places. Thinking of her, he felt a rush of affection towards the red-head.
But they were just friends, right?
He just cared.
"C'mon, El." He knocked on the door to the restroom. "I know you've had enough time to change. Gonna come out any time this century?"
Ellie's voice, muffled, replied back. "I can't do this, Craig."
"Yes you can." He insisted.
"No, Craig. It's bad. Just trust me, I can't do this."
"Ellie." She heard a sigh, and a thud that might be his head hitting the door. "Yes, you can. You're-" there was a pause, like he caught himself. "You're beautiful."
"You really think so, Craig?" Her voice was uncharacteristically quiet.
"Yes. Now come out here and prove me right."
There was a quiet click as she unlocked the door and stepped outside, squinting at the sunlight and blushing almost instantly. Craig held his breath. He'd seen Ellie at the lowest of her lows, but he realized this was the most naked he'd ever seen her, not just physically, but emotionally. She looked small standing in front of him, more human without the layers of clothing and metal jewelry. In nothing but a small, red swimsuit, she looked natural. Even with the puffy lines around her waist and the deep pink lines on her legs, she was still Ellie. And, if truth be told, he could vouch that she did look killer in a two-piece.
Even with the scars.
"Happy?" She murmured, quietly.
Looking her up and down, he made a move towards her, his lips placing a kiss on her cheek so briefly that both of them would stay up late into the night wondering if it actually happened or if it was a figment of their imaginations.
"Ecstatic, now c'mon. " He held out his hand. "We're gonna have fun."
With a small smile (and a blush), she took it, letting him lead her to the water.