Chapter 7: Pancakes

Ellie slowly woke up the sound of clashing dishes. Her first thought that it was her drunken mother rummaging through the cabinets for her Smirnoff vodka bottle.

She reluctantly looked around, realizing that she was still in the living room. Suddenly, she heard someone rustle near her.

Ellie looked below her and saw Craig, his hair a mess, and his arm acting as a pillow as his head lay on it. Her stomach did a flip flop as she heard her mother approach them. Oh no, here it comes...

"Morning, Ellie. Might this be the boy you're always telling me about?"

Ellie was surprised how cheerful her mother sounded. As she looked into her eyes, she couldn't see any sign of bloodshot eyes or anything. Her mother hovered over her, looking down at the floor at Craig, smiling.

She didn't want to wake him up, but he couldn't sleep here forever. She waited until her mom walked back into the kitchen before Ellie shook Craig.

"Craig, come on. Wake up, Craig."

"Yeh...huh?"

He sat up and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Oh god, sorry El. I better be getting home. Joey's going to freak..."

Ellie nodded in understanding. Joey was pretty easygoing but there was only so many times Craig could push his limits. She stood up and stretched, looking at the mess that strewed the beige carpet. She started picking up the bags of Doritos and the half eaten pizza in the box, glancing out of the corner of her eye to watch Craig help.

Ellie stopped and looked at him.

"It's okay, Craig. I'll take care of it, you go home."

He looked at her helplessly for a few moments and smiled weakly before he walked out of the room.

"Craig, are you sure that you don't want any breakfast or anything before you leave?"

Ellie looked up to see her mother taking out a large pan that she used for pancakes, and another pan she used for eggs. She looked in disbelief, thinking she must have misheard.

"Umm, no thank you, Mrs. Nash. Maybe some other time..."

Ellie heard the front door open and close. She carried the garbage into the kitchen and threw it in the garbage can under the sink.

"Mom, since when did you invite my friends to stay for breakfast?"

Mrs. Nash looked at her daughter as she poured the pancake batter into the pan.

"Ellie, don't be silly. I just thought it would be nice to ask your friend to stay. I just thought you guys were hungry..."

Ellie stared at this new woman for a long time. Who was this person? What happened to her old mom. Of course, Ellie couldn't complain about this new mother. She appeared a lot nicer than her old one. She went back into the living room to pick up the empty container of chip dip and a half eaten bag of gummy worms.

"Ellie, it's the weekend. Why don't you go somewhere and hang out with your friends?"

Ellie thought for a few moments. Her old mom never let her go out on the weekend. She always had to sneak out. There was no way she would turn down the offer.

"Yeah, okay. I'll be back later..."

"Just be back before dark, Ellie."

Ellie nodded and went upstairs to grab her bag.

"Just in case I need it..." the young teenager thought to herself.

Within minutes she was walking the sidewalk, heading towards Alex's house. She took a deep breath, hearing yelling and screaming inside.

"Maybe I should just leave. I wouldn't be bothering anyone and no one would get yelled at."

Ellie turned her back and was about to leave when she heard it open behind her. She snapped around to see Alex standing in the doorway.

"You look like death warmed over..."

Ellie chuckled lightly and looked at her.

"Yeah, thanks. Did I come at a bad time?"

Alex shook her head and sighed.

"Every time around here is pretty bad. Want to come in?"

Ellie looked down at her arm and then back at her friend.

"Actually, do you think we could go somewhere?"

Alex nodded. "Yeah, sure. Give me ten minutes. Come in until I'm ready."

As Ellie Nash walked inside, she was only half surprised by what she saw. Cigarette cartons littered the floor and the coffee table, dirty dishes filled the sink, and a broken pile of ceramic glass lay in pieces on the floor. Ellie stepped around it as she followed Alex to her room.

"Sorry about the house; I didn't know you would be coming over."

Ellie waved it off lightly as she stepped into Alex's bedroom, a room that looked a lot neater.

"No, don't worry about it. I've seen worse. You have a pretty cool room, though."

Alex laughed, taking off her dark green pajama shirt and slipping a pink and black fishnet shirt on.

"Thanks, I guess," Alex said, pulling a pair of jeans on.

Ellie stood there, not really knowing what to say at this point. She never had dressed or undressed in front of anyone, and no one had ever done either in front of her. Part of her felt uncomfortable as she quickly glanced at Alex's clean arms and wrists. It made her feel like the loneliest person in the world.

Alex pulled her hair up and then applied her eyeliner on. Once she finished, she looked at Ellie.

"Ready?"

Ellie nodded and followed Alex out of the door.

On the way to the Dot, Ellie told Alex the story of her sickeningly nice mother who was about to make her best friend pancakes.

Alex almost burst out laughing. "Really? That's something, Nash..."

"I don't know. I think she's really gone crazy, Alex."

The two entered the grill and sat at a table. Ellie and Alex were tended to almost instantly, where they both ordered iced tea.

"Maybe the AA classes are working..."

Ellie almost laughed at the suggestion. Her mother had been in Alcoholics Anonymous for almost three years, and she had never seen any sign of her mother improving until now.

"I don't think so. Is it wrong to like the way she's acting? I mean, it's so different than how I'm used to her acting. Part of me almost missing the old her."

Alex shook her head in disbelief. "Ellie, listen to yourself. You're saying that you miss the woman who hurt you. You miss the drunken mother who treated you like dirt! There's nothing to miss, Nash. Be grateful that she's actually getting better. Is that so hard to believe?"

She lowered her head, ignoring the iced tea that was placed in front of her. She knew that her friend was right. Ellie was being so ungrateful for something that she had longed for so long. Now that it had come, why wasn't she acting the way she was supposed to?

"Your mom has changed her life, for you. She's sobering up, El. You should be encouraging her and enjoying the time you spend with her," Alex replied easily. She drank some of the tea, watching the liquid go down in the glass.

Ellie nodded, knowing everything Alex was saying was true. "You're right. I just don't want to be nice to her and end up being slapped in the face...again."

Alex finished her tea and looked at Ellie. "You'll never know until you try. Me, it's too late to befriend my mom. We've been mortal enemies since I was born. At least you have a second chance with her. Don't screw it up, or I'll have to come to your house and kick your ass.." Alex joked, chuckling.

Ellie joined in with her and smiled. "Thanks, Alex. You're great."

"Someone has to keep you in line..."

They finished their drinks, about to leave, when Paige Michaelchuck approached them. Ellie looked at her worried face and felt her heart skip a beat.

"Ellie, we've got to go to the hospital. Manny just called me on my cell and told me that something happened to Craig."

Ellie looked at Alex in panic and stood up, Alex not far behind her. The three climbed in Paige's car and started to speed to the hospital.

As they raced down the street, Ellie felt like she might be sick. She just saw Craig this morning. How could things change so much in so little time?