Author's Note-Thanks for the reviews everyone. This chapter is just about
Ellie and Jimmy forming an understand for one another...eh, you'll see.
Chapter Six-
The banging continued until Ellie had gotten a headache.
"Who is it?" she demanded.
The doorknob twisted open and there stood Spinner, his eyes widening when he saw them sitting on the bed.
"Hey, alright, Jimmy!" he cheered, and Ellie threw a pillow at him.
"You're such a moron, Spin," Jimmy said. "Nothing happened."
He rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say."
"What do you want, Gavin?" Ellie asked.
"I was sent up here to see if you two were actually alive," he said. "And apparently you are. Anyways, most of them are already about to go to sleep..."
"What time is it, anyways?" Ellie questioned.
He shrugged. "One? Two? I dunno...I lost track."
"I'm sure you did," Jimmy mumbled.
Spinner laughed sarcastically. "Haha, oh and you're one to talk, having your own private party with Miss Vampire. Watch out, Jimmy, she vants to suck your vlood."
He cracked up and then turned to leave. "Goodnight!"
Ellie sighed. "This night has been full of surprises, hasn't it?"
"You can say that again."
"So..." Ellie began. "What to talk about next?"
"You're not going to sleep?" he asked her.
She shook her head. "I doubt I'll sleep at all. I'm not one for sleeping at other people's houses."
"Then why don't you go home?" he said. "I mean, if you don't want to be here."
She shook her head again. "I think I'd rather be here."
He gave her an odd look. "Something wrong with your family?"
"You could say that, I guess. My dad's in Kabul for a peacekeeping mission. My mom...well, she's sort of fallen apart since he left. She drinks...a lot. I try to avoid home, but I'm usually cooped up in my room, so it doesn't matter," she explained.
"Wow. When is your dad coming back?" he asked.
"I'm not sure. It could be any day now...or it could be for a while. Anyway, what about you?"
"My family? They're hardly around and whenever they are they just shove money in front of my face, as if that makes up for not being around. Usually I spend each night in front of the TV with a box of pizza or I'm..."
"At a friend's house," she finished for him.
He nodded.
She knew how that was. Ever since her dad left, she found herself spending countless evenings at Marco's place. She knew his parents didn't mind, considering she ate the food they cooked and even helped cleaned up, but she still wished she could spend those evenings with her family, the REAL family.
"So, what was your family like before your dad left?" Jimmy asked.
"It was...better. I mean, I can't say it was perfect. My mom had always been kind of strict. If it weren't for my dad, you probably wouldn't be seeing me here right now and in this outfit. She didn't like it when I changed. She tried to turn me into the perfect prep school girl. It wasn't me. So, I rebelled. She freaked out and my dad had to convince her it was okay," she spilled. "Sorry. I'm talking too much."
"No, no, it's okay," he told her.
"Okay. Well, anyway, my dad and I became pretty close after that. He would always take me out. I love being around him. He always knew how to make me smile. That's why it was so hard for me to let go of him. You know, when I found out he had to leave. I even..." she stopped abruptly, realizing how much she was about to reveal.
"You even what?" he asked.
"Nothing. You really don't need to know," she covered quickly.
"It's okay. You can tell me. I won't say anything," he told her.
She sighed deeply. Pulling down her left arm warmer, she exposed her marred skin. Cuts covered her entire arm, from wrist to shoulder.
She glanced at Jimmy. He was speechless.
"Are you going to say something?" she asked him after a few moments.
"You did that to yourself?" he questioned. "Does anyone know?"
She nodded. "Paige knows. She sent me to talk to Ms. Suave, you know the guidance counselor. But that was months ago."
"It doesn't seem to be helping. Ellie, there are fresh cuts on your arm!" he exclaimed.
"It's not that big of a deal. Just...forget I told you."
"No. Why do would you do that?"
She shrugged. "Even I don't know. It just seemed...so right at the time. I've tried. I've tried to stop, but I just can't."
"That makes you feel good? How stupid are you?" his voice started to rise.
"You don't understand-"
"Understand that you've completely lost your mind?" he snapped.
Before Ellie knew it, tears silently poured from her eyes.
"You don't think I regret every scar, every mark on my arm? You don't think I don't wonder what my father would say? I've tried to stop. I want to stop, but I can't. So you have no right to say that to me, when clearly you know nothing about me!" she said, trying not to yell.
"I'm sorry," he said after a while.
"It's okay," she replied, sniffing.
And before she knew it, his arm was around her. It was awkward. Very awkward, yet Ellie felt comfortable being around him. She almost laughed at the thought. The perfect, popular basketball star, sitting here with his arms around the not so social outcast rocker chick. Who knew?
Ellie smiled meekly, her eyelids starting to feel heavy.
"El, you getting tired?" she faintly heard Jimmy ask.
It was only moments later that she fell asleep.
Chapter Six-
The banging continued until Ellie had gotten a headache.
"Who is it?" she demanded.
The doorknob twisted open and there stood Spinner, his eyes widening when he saw them sitting on the bed.
"Hey, alright, Jimmy!" he cheered, and Ellie threw a pillow at him.
"You're such a moron, Spin," Jimmy said. "Nothing happened."
He rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say."
"What do you want, Gavin?" Ellie asked.
"I was sent up here to see if you two were actually alive," he said. "And apparently you are. Anyways, most of them are already about to go to sleep..."
"What time is it, anyways?" Ellie questioned.
He shrugged. "One? Two? I dunno...I lost track."
"I'm sure you did," Jimmy mumbled.
Spinner laughed sarcastically. "Haha, oh and you're one to talk, having your own private party with Miss Vampire. Watch out, Jimmy, she vants to suck your vlood."
He cracked up and then turned to leave. "Goodnight!"
Ellie sighed. "This night has been full of surprises, hasn't it?"
"You can say that again."
"So..." Ellie began. "What to talk about next?"
"You're not going to sleep?" he asked her.
She shook her head. "I doubt I'll sleep at all. I'm not one for sleeping at other people's houses."
"Then why don't you go home?" he said. "I mean, if you don't want to be here."
She shook her head again. "I think I'd rather be here."
He gave her an odd look. "Something wrong with your family?"
"You could say that, I guess. My dad's in Kabul for a peacekeeping mission. My mom...well, she's sort of fallen apart since he left. She drinks...a lot. I try to avoid home, but I'm usually cooped up in my room, so it doesn't matter," she explained.
"Wow. When is your dad coming back?" he asked.
"I'm not sure. It could be any day now...or it could be for a while. Anyway, what about you?"
"My family? They're hardly around and whenever they are they just shove money in front of my face, as if that makes up for not being around. Usually I spend each night in front of the TV with a box of pizza or I'm..."
"At a friend's house," she finished for him.
He nodded.
She knew how that was. Ever since her dad left, she found herself spending countless evenings at Marco's place. She knew his parents didn't mind, considering she ate the food they cooked and even helped cleaned up, but she still wished she could spend those evenings with her family, the REAL family.
"So, what was your family like before your dad left?" Jimmy asked.
"It was...better. I mean, I can't say it was perfect. My mom had always been kind of strict. If it weren't for my dad, you probably wouldn't be seeing me here right now and in this outfit. She didn't like it when I changed. She tried to turn me into the perfect prep school girl. It wasn't me. So, I rebelled. She freaked out and my dad had to convince her it was okay," she spilled. "Sorry. I'm talking too much."
"No, no, it's okay," he told her.
"Okay. Well, anyway, my dad and I became pretty close after that. He would always take me out. I love being around him. He always knew how to make me smile. That's why it was so hard for me to let go of him. You know, when I found out he had to leave. I even..." she stopped abruptly, realizing how much she was about to reveal.
"You even what?" he asked.
"Nothing. You really don't need to know," she covered quickly.
"It's okay. You can tell me. I won't say anything," he told her.
She sighed deeply. Pulling down her left arm warmer, she exposed her marred skin. Cuts covered her entire arm, from wrist to shoulder.
She glanced at Jimmy. He was speechless.
"Are you going to say something?" she asked him after a few moments.
"You did that to yourself?" he questioned. "Does anyone know?"
She nodded. "Paige knows. She sent me to talk to Ms. Suave, you know the guidance counselor. But that was months ago."
"It doesn't seem to be helping. Ellie, there are fresh cuts on your arm!" he exclaimed.
"It's not that big of a deal. Just...forget I told you."
"No. Why do would you do that?"
She shrugged. "Even I don't know. It just seemed...so right at the time. I've tried. I've tried to stop, but I just can't."
"That makes you feel good? How stupid are you?" his voice started to rise.
"You don't understand-"
"Understand that you've completely lost your mind?" he snapped.
Before Ellie knew it, tears silently poured from her eyes.
"You don't think I regret every scar, every mark on my arm? You don't think I don't wonder what my father would say? I've tried to stop. I want to stop, but I can't. So you have no right to say that to me, when clearly you know nothing about me!" she said, trying not to yell.
"I'm sorry," he said after a while.
"It's okay," she replied, sniffing.
And before she knew it, his arm was around her. It was awkward. Very awkward, yet Ellie felt comfortable being around him. She almost laughed at the thought. The perfect, popular basketball star, sitting here with his arms around the not so social outcast rocker chick. Who knew?
Ellie smiled meekly, her eyelids starting to feel heavy.
"El, you getting tired?" she faintly heard Jimmy ask.
It was only moments later that she fell asleep.