Ellie and Ashley met the boys right inside the mall. For a moment,
they all stood in akward silence. Then, Jimmy spoke. "Well, I guess we'll
leave you two to talk...ready Ellie?" He looked towards her and she
nodded. They walked off together through the crowded mall. Ellie looked
around at all of the happy shoppers. Smiles on their faces, bags in their
hands, and not a care in the world. She was secretly envious of every one
of them. "So how've you been Ellie?" Jimmy asked, not knowing what else
to say.
"I've been okay thanks, and you?" She didn't really want to be here, she hated the way the mall always got so crowded after school, especially on Fridays.
"Me? Oh I've been pretty good myself." They walked some more, passing up the escalators and the fashion show at the center of the mall. Both felt akward, realizing they had nothing in common. Well, nothing but one thing. "Hey, wanna check out that new music store? I hear it's supposed to be really great." Ellie nodded and they made their way into the store, which was of course packed.
The two of them looked around, not really saying anything to each other, just trying to pass the time. The one thing that Ellie had on her mind was making her very anxious. Jimmy noticed and asked if she was okay. "Yeah..yeah I'm fine." She lied.
Jimmy shrugged and backed up, bumping into someone. He turned around to say sorry, but the person just laughed. "Watch out Jimmy." The voice of Paige sounded. Ellie cringed and tried to hid behind a keychain rack. Paige spotted her despite that. She laughed her annoying laugh. "Jimmy, here on a date with the dark side? Didn't know you went that way."
"Shut up Paige," Just as Ellie thought he may be trying to stop her, he finished his sentence. "You know I'd never date her." This sent Paige into a fit of giggles. Hazel, who stood behind her tried not to laugh herself.
Ellie glared at the three of them and made a quick exit from the store. She swerved through the crowds of people, and again went past the escalators and the fashion show, and eventually she passed Craig and Ashley who now laughed and talked with ease. Craig saw her storming out, and pointed. Ashley sighed and they stood to follow her. "Ellie! Stop!" Ashley cried out to her. She slowed and turned to them, wanting to cry, but not doing so. "What happened?" Ashley asked.
"Nothing," She lied.
"Come on Ellie, what happened? And where'd Jimmy go?" Craig responded.
"He's probably in there with Paige and Hazel, making more jokes towards me." Ashley and Craig sighed in desperation.
"Here, Craig, why don't you walk Ellie home? I'll go find Jimmy." Ashley told him. "Ellie, I'll call you later, okay?" They both nodded to Ashley and walked off towards Ellie's house.
It was silent for awhile, when Craig spoke. "Yeah, if you were wondering what all that was about, Ashley and I broke up."
"Oh...wow I'm sorry Craig."
"Nah, don't be...her and Jimmy were always meant to be anyways, you know?" Ellie smiled and nodded and Craig continued. "You know, you shouldn't let Paige get to you so much. She's really powerless if you think about it."
She sighed. "No...it's not that. I mean...well, it is, but...nevermind."
"No, please go on." Ellie was in a new position. Usually nobody ever wanted to hear what she had to say. Even Ashley never really seemed to care or urge her. She shrugged it off though, deciding he was just trying to be nice and make conversation.
"It's nothing, really." Craig didn't press anymore. Another silence hung in the air for awhile.
"So...do you maybe wanna hang out for a little while? I mean since...Ashley and Jimmy are off in their own little world...I mean, if you want."
Ellie pondered for a moment, then realized she'd never hung out with Craig a lot before. "Sure." He smiled and then led the way to his house.
"I've been okay thanks, and you?" She didn't really want to be here, she hated the way the mall always got so crowded after school, especially on Fridays.
"Me? Oh I've been pretty good myself." They walked some more, passing up the escalators and the fashion show at the center of the mall. Both felt akward, realizing they had nothing in common. Well, nothing but one thing. "Hey, wanna check out that new music store? I hear it's supposed to be really great." Ellie nodded and they made their way into the store, which was of course packed.
The two of them looked around, not really saying anything to each other, just trying to pass the time. The one thing that Ellie had on her mind was making her very anxious. Jimmy noticed and asked if she was okay. "Yeah..yeah I'm fine." She lied.
Jimmy shrugged and backed up, bumping into someone. He turned around to say sorry, but the person just laughed. "Watch out Jimmy." The voice of Paige sounded. Ellie cringed and tried to hid behind a keychain rack. Paige spotted her despite that. She laughed her annoying laugh. "Jimmy, here on a date with the dark side? Didn't know you went that way."
"Shut up Paige," Just as Ellie thought he may be trying to stop her, he finished his sentence. "You know I'd never date her." This sent Paige into a fit of giggles. Hazel, who stood behind her tried not to laugh herself.
Ellie glared at the three of them and made a quick exit from the store. She swerved through the crowds of people, and again went past the escalators and the fashion show, and eventually she passed Craig and Ashley who now laughed and talked with ease. Craig saw her storming out, and pointed. Ashley sighed and they stood to follow her. "Ellie! Stop!" Ashley cried out to her. She slowed and turned to them, wanting to cry, but not doing so. "What happened?" Ashley asked.
"Nothing," She lied.
"Come on Ellie, what happened? And where'd Jimmy go?" Craig responded.
"He's probably in there with Paige and Hazel, making more jokes towards me." Ashley and Craig sighed in desperation.
"Here, Craig, why don't you walk Ellie home? I'll go find Jimmy." Ashley told him. "Ellie, I'll call you later, okay?" They both nodded to Ashley and walked off towards Ellie's house.
It was silent for awhile, when Craig spoke. "Yeah, if you were wondering what all that was about, Ashley and I broke up."
"Oh...wow I'm sorry Craig."
"Nah, don't be...her and Jimmy were always meant to be anyways, you know?" Ellie smiled and nodded and Craig continued. "You know, you shouldn't let Paige get to you so much. She's really powerless if you think about it."
She sighed. "No...it's not that. I mean...well, it is, but...nevermind."
"No, please go on." Ellie was in a new position. Usually nobody ever wanted to hear what she had to say. Even Ashley never really seemed to care or urge her. She shrugged it off though, deciding he was just trying to be nice and make conversation.
"It's nothing, really." Craig didn't press anymore. Another silence hung in the air for awhile.
"So...do you maybe wanna hang out for a little while? I mean since...Ashley and Jimmy are off in their own little world...I mean, if you want."
Ellie pondered for a moment, then realized she'd never hung out with Craig a lot before. "Sure." He smiled and then led the way to his house.