Chapter Four: Round One
It was almost an hour later before the doorbell rang. Ashley jumped off the couch and raced to the door. She pulled it open to find Paige, Terri, and Hazel standing on the doorstep. Paige breezed past Ashley into the room.
"Finally!" She gasped, placing herself daintily in an armchair. "I thought I'd be waiting outside all night!"
"Hi Paige." Ashley managed, and then returned the smiles that Hazel and Terri gave her. "Come on in, guys."
"Thanks for inviting us, Ash." Terri spoke, laying her sleeping bag on the ground and joining Chloe on the couch.
"Yeah, it was really nice of you." Hazel chimed in, following Terri's example. There was a moment of quiet before the bell rang again.
"Oh, that must be Ellie." Ashley spoke to no one in particular, racing over to again swing the door open. Ellie stood in the open doorway.
"Hey Ash! Thought I'd come over a little early, see if you needed any help shopping or anything, I hope you don't mind . . . " she started, then noticed all the people staring at her from the living room. "Oh. Am I late?"
"No, no. You're right on time." Ashley replied, taking her bag and leading her into the room. This was the first time Chloe had ever seen a girl of Ellie's variety from Degrassi, and she looked on with interest.
Ellie's red hair was in two ponytails on either side of her head. Some pieces were crimped, others braided, leaving her hair looking like a controlled disaster. A black and white kilt grazed her knees and a black 'Emily' tee shirt adorned her upper body, stating 'I don't aim high, I aim low.' Her feet were clad in clunky black shoes that reminded Chloe of the black boots she had started off the year favoring.
Ellie had, in fact, never seen Chloe before either. Completely uncharacteristically, Ellie looked the girl up and down and passed judgment on her.
Chloe sat on the couch, legs crossed. She wore a pair of skinny black pants and a black, one shoulder tank top. A silver charm bracelet circled her wrist and a sparkly black choker adorned her neck. Her long hair fell down her back in loose, honey colored waves.
'Is she a prep, perhaps, or just a poser, and thinks she's Goth with her 'mourner' wardrobe.' Ellie thought, and found herself shocked to be thinking such things. She, Ellie Nash, never made snap judgments on anyone. It was her trademark, her claim to fame. What was she thinking?
"Let's go upstairs to my room, you guys can put your stuff in there." Ashley interrupted, dislodging Ellie's train of thought and stirring the crowd to motion. In a herd they climbed the stairs and Ashley led the way. Opening the door, Ashley revealed the controlled chaos that was her boudoir.
Her bedspread was a tie-dye disaster, concocted several weeks ago when she and Chloe had tried their hand at the dated art form. Christmas lights hung haphazardly across the ceiling, and the walls were adorned with posters advertising obscure punk bands.
"I just love what you've done with the place, Ash. I haven't been in here since the decor screamed 'Care Bears'. It's good to see you roll with the times. What do you call this, death metal chic?" Paige quipped, dropping her pink, rhinestone studded bag near the door and sneering with disgust.
"Shut up, Paige." Ellie and Chloe spoke in unison. Paige jumped at the sudden vocalization, and then appeared haughty. Ashley thought desperately for a way to diffuse the situation.
"Hey Chlo, some help me bring up the food." She commanded, grabbing her friend by the arm and dragging her down the stairs. They reached the kitchen and began to gather up the food. Ashley paused and gazed over as Chloe picked up a bag of chips. "So. What do you think about Ellie?"
"I don't know. She's kind of weird." Chloe replied, and Ashley furrowed her eyebrows.
"Weird? Chlo, since when do you care if someone's weird or not?" Ashley wondered aloud, and Chloe shrugged.
"Since now." She finished shortly, gathering up the food and heading off up the stairs.
It was almost an hour later before the doorbell rang. Ashley jumped off the couch and raced to the door. She pulled it open to find Paige, Terri, and Hazel standing on the doorstep. Paige breezed past Ashley into the room.
"Finally!" She gasped, placing herself daintily in an armchair. "I thought I'd be waiting outside all night!"
"Hi Paige." Ashley managed, and then returned the smiles that Hazel and Terri gave her. "Come on in, guys."
"Thanks for inviting us, Ash." Terri spoke, laying her sleeping bag on the ground and joining Chloe on the couch.
"Yeah, it was really nice of you." Hazel chimed in, following Terri's example. There was a moment of quiet before the bell rang again.
"Oh, that must be Ellie." Ashley spoke to no one in particular, racing over to again swing the door open. Ellie stood in the open doorway.
"Hey Ash! Thought I'd come over a little early, see if you needed any help shopping or anything, I hope you don't mind . . . " she started, then noticed all the people staring at her from the living room. "Oh. Am I late?"
"No, no. You're right on time." Ashley replied, taking her bag and leading her into the room. This was the first time Chloe had ever seen a girl of Ellie's variety from Degrassi, and she looked on with interest.
Ellie's red hair was in two ponytails on either side of her head. Some pieces were crimped, others braided, leaving her hair looking like a controlled disaster. A black and white kilt grazed her knees and a black 'Emily' tee shirt adorned her upper body, stating 'I don't aim high, I aim low.' Her feet were clad in clunky black shoes that reminded Chloe of the black boots she had started off the year favoring.
Ellie had, in fact, never seen Chloe before either. Completely uncharacteristically, Ellie looked the girl up and down and passed judgment on her.
Chloe sat on the couch, legs crossed. She wore a pair of skinny black pants and a black, one shoulder tank top. A silver charm bracelet circled her wrist and a sparkly black choker adorned her neck. Her long hair fell down her back in loose, honey colored waves.
'Is she a prep, perhaps, or just a poser, and thinks she's Goth with her 'mourner' wardrobe.' Ellie thought, and found herself shocked to be thinking such things. She, Ellie Nash, never made snap judgments on anyone. It was her trademark, her claim to fame. What was she thinking?
"Let's go upstairs to my room, you guys can put your stuff in there." Ashley interrupted, dislodging Ellie's train of thought and stirring the crowd to motion. In a herd they climbed the stairs and Ashley led the way. Opening the door, Ashley revealed the controlled chaos that was her boudoir.
Her bedspread was a tie-dye disaster, concocted several weeks ago when she and Chloe had tried their hand at the dated art form. Christmas lights hung haphazardly across the ceiling, and the walls were adorned with posters advertising obscure punk bands.
"I just love what you've done with the place, Ash. I haven't been in here since the decor screamed 'Care Bears'. It's good to see you roll with the times. What do you call this, death metal chic?" Paige quipped, dropping her pink, rhinestone studded bag near the door and sneering with disgust.
"Shut up, Paige." Ellie and Chloe spoke in unison. Paige jumped at the sudden vocalization, and then appeared haughty. Ashley thought desperately for a way to diffuse the situation.
"Hey Chlo, some help me bring up the food." She commanded, grabbing her friend by the arm and dragging her down the stairs. They reached the kitchen and began to gather up the food. Ashley paused and gazed over as Chloe picked up a bag of chips. "So. What do you think about Ellie?"
"I don't know. She's kind of weird." Chloe replied, and Ashley furrowed her eyebrows.
"Weird? Chlo, since when do you care if someone's weird or not?" Ashley wondered aloud, and Chloe shrugged.
"Since now." She finished shortly, gathering up the food and heading off up the stairs.
