Numb
Give me all your fear, throw it away
Think about the good things, no matter what they say
We'll take tomorrow baby
One day at a time
"Hey Hon!" Paige squealed excitedly as she rushed up to Ellie in the hall and grabbed her arm. Ellie sighed heavily as she felt Paige catch up with her. Ellie stopped and spun around, plastering a smiling face on for the 'Spirit Princess'
" Hey Paige, how can I help you?" she drawled.
" I just wanted to know how you were doing?"
" I'm fine Paige, can I go to class now? Or do I have to check in with you first?" Ellie asked shifting her binder and books in her arms. Paige's smile fell as Ellie struggled to make it down the hall.
" Ellie I'm only trying to help" Paige said frowning.
Ellie sighed, feeling absolutely horrible for being so nasty towards Paige, "She's only trying to help." Ellie insisted to herself. " Look Paige, I'm sorry, I really appreciate that you're trying to help, but I'm doing fine."
Paige watched Ellie shift uncomfortably under her gaze. She was very skeptical of Ellie's words. Her eyes traveled down to Ellie's long sleeves. The hallway was slowly becoming empty and Paige grabbed Ellie and dragged her into the nearest girls' restroom.
" Show me your arm" Paige said, almost in domineering tone.
Ellie looked completely taken aback. " Are you serious?"
" Dead" Paige said.
Ellie rolled her eyes and set her binder and books down on top of the sink counter, and rolled up her sleeves and bared her arm to Paige. They were nearly healed, especially after Sean had taken care of them the other night. There were no worries for Ellie in the least. Paige smiled and hugged Ellie. Ellie shifted in Paige's embrace and pushed her back.
" Can I go to class now?" Ellie asked picking up her books. Paige nodded, and Ellie left the restroom and began walking towards her geometry class. Ellie was beginning to feel even more crowded by Paige's attention. It was the third time this week that she had been confronted by her, and frankly, Paige was acting like the mother Ellie should have. With the bell about to ring, Ellie sprinted down the hall and made it into the room, and into her seat under the gaze of Mr. Armstrong. She turned to her left and noticed Marco smiling at her. He slowly slipped her a small note.
Hey Els
Ellie smiled, and scribbled a response.
Hey Marco
Ellie struggled to pay attention to Mr. Armstrong as he scribbled notes on the board and reading Marco's note.
how are you doing? I saw Paige stop you in the hall...everything is okay right? I mean you look happy...
Ellie sighed.
I'm fine Marco, Paige is just being overly motherly towards me
Marco looked relieved.
good.
Ellie almost laughed to herself.
how are things with you and Dyl?
Marco started to glow.
couldn't be better, he invited me, just me to see him in a hockey match this weekend.
Ellie shook her head smiling.
that's good.
Marco had a panicked look on his face.
what am I going to wear!????
Ellie turned to look at him and wanted to laugh. She slipped the note away, turned her attention towards the board, and began scribbling down some notes as they were written down on the board.
Sean sat down in-between Towerz and Jay during lunch and rested his head hard against the table. He'd been out with 'the guys' most of the night and all of the weekend. He had to restrain himself from drinking too much. He didn't do so well and spent most of the weekend in Jay's bathroom throwing up. There was no way he could go home to Tracker in his condition so just crashed at Jay's house. At the moment, he was suffering from a major hangover. Being in school just didn't make his day any less stressful. He felt like shit, and looked it to, still dressed in his clothes from Friday, he looked miserable.
He wasn't sure why. After all, he was hanging out with the people that understood him the most, wasn't he? He slipped on his headphones, pressed play on his CD player, and drifted in and out of sleep as he rested his head on the lunch table. He listened to the music and realized what CD it was, it was Ellie's and he still hadn't returned it. He smiled in his tired state, until he saw Mr. Raditch standing in front of him, his arms crossed sternly, and using a 'come hither' motion with his finger. Sean rolled his eyes, turned off his CD player, and followed Mr. Raditch.
Sean fell down into the seat he was so used to sitting in and slunk down in the seat as Mr. Raditch sat on the edge of his desk, frowning at the young man. " You've skipped three classes this week Sean"
Sean just shrugged.
" And you missed your detention with me from the last time we met."
Sean just stared.
" What do you have to say?"
" I forget?" he drawled.
" Sean, that's unacceptable, you can't afford to fall behind anymore," Mr. Raditch looked down his notepad. " I believe you have a project due for Ms.Kwan soon, you might want to get started on it, or you might be spending another year in grade nine, Sean"
" Whatever" Sean mumbled.
" Go back to lunch, do whatever it is you do, and don't get yourself in my office unless its for a compliment, I don't want to see you go downhill"
Sean rolled his eyes and left Mr.Raditch's office in an angry mood. He really didn't feel like dealing with teachers and principals riding his ass about making it through the year. It just wasn't the top thing on his list of things to worry about. What was near the top was Ellie. He hadn't seen her all weekend; he hadn't seen her since she thanked him. He hadn't seen her since she hugged him, and he was dying to see her. Being with her was different from hanging out with Towerz and Jay and the gang. She was like a refreshing burst of reality. Towerz and Jay just spent their time stealing and getting wasted, like those were the good points in life. Ellie was an artist, and she was always concerned with the present, with the future, and just trying to live. It was like being with Jay and Towerz was giving up.
He remembered feeling like his life was going downhill; Jay and Towerz just seemed to be on his level. They got him. But then again so did...
"Ellie!" Sean called out as he noticed her walking out of the cafeteria. He watched her smile as she walked up to him. " How are you?" he asked.
" Fine" she muttered as they walked together down the hall.
" I haven't seen you in a while."
" I just stayed home this weekend with my mom, she drank herself sick" Ellie said frowning. Sean nodded.
" How's the situation with your dad?" he asked.
" I got an email from him the other day, he might be coming home after the holidays."
" That's great"
" Yea, but I wish he could be here during the holidays, my mom is always worse during the holidays, with all the 'celebrating' and what not."
" If you want I'll come by and hang out with you"
Ellie smiled, " that's nice of you, but I don't want to drown out your holiday with my problems"
" I'll stop by with Tracker, we'll make a little party or something"
Ellie shook her head, "my mom---"
" Will probably be sane if there's company" Sean said as he remembered always hoping his friends were free to come over so his parents wouldn't drink in front of them.
Ellie gave in. Just looking into Sean's puppy dog eyes, she couldn't not say yes to Sean coming over for at least one day during break, in fact, she really needed a break from her mother drinking, especially during the holidays.
" I'll see you over break then" Sean said. Ellie nodded as she watched Sean rush down the hall towards Ms. Kwan's classroom. He was actually going to a class.
" Els!" Marco called out as rushed down the hall with Dylan strolling up behind him. Ellie waited up for Marco and smiled as she noticed Dylan's presence as well.
" Hey Marco, Dylan" she said, watching as Dylan nodded as she acknowledged him.
" I saw you talking to Sean" Marco said, nudging her gently with his elbow.
" And?" Ellie asked raising her eyebrows as she waited for a reasoning.
" So, did he ask you out?" Marco quipped up.
" Actually no, me and Sean aren't like that, we are just friends" Ellie said, lying more to herself than she was to Marco.
" Oh really?" Dylan asked begging to differ.
" Yes, really, he's been helping me a lot lately dealing with some...stuff"
" More than just your geometry homework I bet..." Marco said smirking, " perhaps he's helping you with some sex-ed"
Ellie rolled her eyes, " bye guys" she chirped as she walked down the hall towards her last class of the day.
"Ellie, it's good to have you back with us" Caitlin Ryan said smiling as Ellie walked into the office. " You're the best little intern we've ever had, we were lost without you."
Ellie laughed, " I'm the only intern you've ever had."
Caitlin flushed red; " all the same, it's great to have such a bright young mind around here."
"Thanks for the break" Ellie said, " I really needed it."
" No problem" Caitlin said as she handed Ellie a binder and walking her to the small room down the hall Ellie had used as her own little office, " you know the drill."
Ellie smiled taking the binder and locking herself in the small room with a radio, quickly finished her work, and then started on her geometry homework with some time to spare, before she went home. Ellie walked into Caitlin's office, rested the binder on her desk, and turned to leave.
" Ellie wait!" Caitlin called.
" Yea?" Ellie responded turning around, adjusting her bag strap that hung on her shoulder loosely.
" The station is wanting to appeal to the younger audience, do you have any ideas?"
Ellie beamed, she was practically glowing, and "you really want my ideas?"
Caitlin looked at her as if she were crazy, " of course, that was one of the reasons why we hired you, young minds these days are hard to tap into."
" Well..." Ellie began, " why not do a show staring local kids, like a kids news type thing, for the kids, by the kids."
Caitlin was silent for a moment as she thought.
Ellie began to feel nervous as she waited for Caitlin's answer and response.
" That..." she began, " is a great idea, I'll bring it up at the next meeting, if you have any free time, write me up a synopsis of the show and who our fresh faces could be."
Ellie smiled brightly. " I'll get right on it."
Ashley and Craig were completely consumed in each other as they made their way home from school. Their fingers were intertwined as they walked towards Ashley's home.
" You're still coming over for the tree-trimming party right." Craig asked as they stopped in front of her house.
" I wouldn't miss it for the world" she said kissing him on the cheek. Her kiss seemed to burn to him. He brushed it off thinking it was the cold, but as he left her front porch and began his trek home, he began to realize why he burned. Perhaps it was all the lying he was doing, the sneaking around behind her back that made her touch burn him. Deep down he felt he deserved. He walked into the garage and found Manny waiting for him on the couch. "Thank God for no band practice" he thought, a smile completely drawn across his face.
" Hey" Manny said sweetly.
It was all she ever needed to say to have Craig wrapped around her little finger. True in the past she was nothing more than a giggly little girl who reminded him of Angela. But now she was more like a goddess, her exotic complexion, voluptuous ebony curls, her beautiful brown eyes, not to mention her well toned body from cheerleading practice. Ever since the night of Paige's surprise party, she was more than just a girl; she was a young woman.
" I thought you weren't coming over 'til later" Craig muttered.
Manny shrugged, " Sully ditched me to go hang out with his friends, and you didn't have band practice...so I thought maybe you could use a little...inspiration" she said seductively.
Craig smirked. " Exactly what was on my mind" he said slipping down on the couch next to Manny and pulling her on top of him, their lips practically infused.
A/N: Once again...sorry it took me so long. But I think I told you all in the beginning that I might have trouble keeping it coming quick. It's starting to slow down, I know, but I'm still writing...see ^^^... Well midterms are finally done, thank goodness, now all I'm waiting for is my report card to get out of restricted study hall. I passed physics...someone throw me a party! Meh...well that's all for this week kids...I'm tired, over and out.
Quick thanks to: musikchik, eyes of a child, Kaity, sayinjinj7, masti, BaLLin BaBi GrL, Am I Missing, bookdragon14, Ellectra, LiL SnoopY, darkstorm5000, Scimitar Nyx, and trucalifornian
Different: restricted is the worst...but I found a way out of it, and I just go to the writing lab and surf the net, it's better than sitting in silence. I still have to go down to the 12th grade office though, and have the principal sign my writing lab pass though. Such a pain...
poppyseed: I wish I added music to this chapter, just for you, but I couldn't think of anything, but I recommend for you: the Cooper Temple Clause, or Starsailor, anything by them is great.
This Chapter is dedicated to Arthur! *kiss * cause I said so! And Arthur luv, if you see this, I think you should leave me a review!!!!