A Kiss From a Rose
Chapter One: The Moment When Our Eyes Met
Gawd, can this summer get anymore boring? , Ellie thought as she flipped through the pages of her copy of the Degrassi Community School yearbook. She felt hot tears burning inside her eyes as she gazed over Jimmy's picture. How could I have been so stupid, Ellie thought furiously. She snapped the rubber band across her arm. Ow. It still hurt to feel the pain after years of using it as an alternative to cutting. She picked up the phone and started dialing Jimmy's number, a familiar number..one that she called almost everyday.
"Hello?" Mrs. Brooks answered. "Hi, may I please speak to Jimmy?" Ellie asked. "Sure thing, honey. Hold on." Mrs. Brooks said. Ellie could hear background voices. "Who is it, Momma?" "I don't know, baby."
"Hey?" Jimmy's voice came on. "Hi." Ellie squeaked. Her heart was pumping with various emotions. "Ellie. Hi." Jimmy said in a monotone. "Jimmy, I'm really sorry. And I just wanted to call to tell you…that I…" Ellie drifted off. She shut her eyes and breathed in and out slowly. "You what?" Jimmy asked sharply. "I love you." She sighed. Pause.
"Ellie, I loved you. I loved you so much. It hurt me when you said no. I mean, I thought she's right to reject me, I'm in a wheelchair." Jimmy replied. "No, it's not that. It was because I had mixed feelings. I didn't know what to say. You caught me in a bad moment." Ellie said.
"Well, tell me when the right moment is." Jimmy said before hanging up. "No, Jimmy! Don't hang up…" Ellie shrieked. "The phone."
Jimmy was right. Ellie was afraid of his disability. Ellie denied it but she felt it inside. "How could I be so cruel?" Ellie cried to herself.
Ellie could think back to a time when no relationship mattered. A world with only her and Jimmy, a world full of love and flirtation it didn't matter who got hurt. The Dot.
Three Months Ago,
Ellie stepped into the Dot, feeling like shit. She ordered a quick latte, thinking that she would just grab coffee and go. Go somewhere far away, far from anyone. She couldn't count on anybody anymore. Her best friend Ashley Kerwin left everyone for a opportunity in London, leaving her boyfriend and Ellie's ex Craig for some random guy. "Ellie, do you wanna sit with me?" Jimmy asked, as Ellie passed his table to pick up her coffee. "Um, sure. Hang on a sec." Ellie said surprised. Jimmy had never paid attention to her before. Well okay, only at a Saturday detention but still, he thought of her as a backstabber by the day was over. Long story.
She got her coffee and went back to Jimmy's table. He was all alone, which was shocking because he was the most popular boy in school, except for a open laptop. The light glaring into Jimmy's face as he sipped his mocha cappucino. "Hey." He grinned at Ellie as she sat. "Hey." Ellie replied. She was very uncomfortable. She didn't know how to act around him. He was just so gorgeous despite being disabled in a wheelchair. "I don't know what to say, Ellie." Jimmy started. Huh? "Thank you so much." Jimmy said. "For what?" Ellie got confused. "Haha, very funny. The fundraiser. For me. The Jimmy Brooks Foundation. For survivors of gun fights in schools." Jimmy said. "Oh!" Ellie said, completely forgetting about that. She had started up the fundraiser in the hopes of raising money for Jimmy's hospital time and for other people's too.
"Um, you're welcome." Ellie said. Soon, Ellie eased into the conversation as they found out things about each other that they had in common. For instance, Jimmy and Ellie both enjoyed listening to The Beach Boys and that they thought Haagen-Daaz was the premier ice cream.
Before she knew it, Ellie couldn't stop thinking about Jimmy – even when she was with him. Maybe that was why everybody had fallen for him. Hazel, especially. But that was over. Ellie spent the rest of the night with Jimmy walking downtown and browsing through the boutiques. He even bought her a locket necklace that she eyed so much. It was a lot of fun and Ellie felt that she knew the REAL Jimmy Brooks. Not the smiling, happy go-lucky popular kid from school, but a real deep, understanding, and heartfelt person that she could talk to and spill her secrets to.
Maybe this was love.
Ellie cried for the rest of the day and night, agonizing over Jimmy and finally she thought of a perfect plan. She would plot against Ashley and steal Jimmy from Ashley. Ellie knew Ashley was sneaking around with Craig now that she was back in Degrassi, in a relationship with Jimmy and in another with Craig. She could use that juicy information to her advantage. AND Ashley was still talking to that England guy, whatever his name was. Yes, tomorrow Ellie would have a full "gossip-fest" with dear best friend Ashley and get Jimmy back. Because that was the only option and quite frankly, she was up for a challenge.
THE NEXT DAY...
"So Ash, still seeing that England dude?" Ellie asked. Ellie was over at Ashley's house, and somehow they gotten around to painting their nails. Ashley wasn't that emotionally challenged anymore; in fact, now she acted like a real girly girl. Something that Ellie was pissed off about. Ashley had tried on various colors: Deeply in Love Pink, Mellow Turquoise, Enviously Green, Tomato Soup Red, and Calm Violet. "Yeah, I guess. We were talking last night about our favorite things. I told him I loved Breakfast at Tiffany's and he said that one day, when he gets to be a famous singer, he'll buy me the most expensive Tiffany diamond necklace there is." Ashley giggled, applying Vain Purple. "That's really sweet of him. What about Craig?" Ellie asked. "Oh, Craig. He's still not over the engagement thing so I guess we're still trying to work things out." Ashley shrugged. "But you're dating Jimmy.." Ellie said, as if it was the most horrible thing in the world. "Ellie, I'm not tied down. I'm a big girl. I can handle my romantic affairs by myself. Since when were you interested in my love life?" Ashley asked. Ooh, shouldn't have made it too obvious, Ellie thought. "Interesting topic for a journalistic essay." Ellie fibbed. "Well make sure you change my name and the boys, for their sake." Ashley giggled again. Ashley's laugh was more phlegm-filled. It was pure torture just to listen to it. Ashley had definetely changed and for the worst too. Now she dressed like a slut...and putting on extravagent amounts of makeup. Moving somewhere sure can change people. Ashley claimed her new style was "boho"... but just last week when Ashley said that, Paige replied with a, "Oh no, you ho!" It sure was weird, but for the first time Ellie agreed with Paige. Furreaky.
"I still love Jimmy no matter what." Ashley said defensively. "Why don't you break up with one of 'em? You're sounding like such a player!" Ellie chided. "So? They're my guys. And Ellie? You should think about letting loose of your so-called 'goth-emo' stage and start being a real girl for instance. Maybe then, some boy might be interested in you." Ashley snapped. Woah. Ellie felt like she was being slapped in the face. "Ohhmygosh. Ellie, that came out sooo wrong." Ashley said apologetically.
In Ellie's imaginary world, this might've happened:
"Oh yeah?" Ellie asked threatingly. "I'm so sorry, Ellie!" Ashley pleaded. "Whatever, you're supposed to my best friend. Not some random girl who uses boys for her own uses!" Ellie said. "I'll give you one of 'em. Take your pick." Ashley said. "Hmmm..I want Jimmy!" Ellie said. "You like him?" Ashley asked increduously. "Yes, I have. Forever, it seemed. I will not let you treat him the way you do!" Ellie declared as she got up to leave. Before she did however, she tipped over the open nail polish bottles. The drizzling nail polish oozed over Ashley's well-kept and neat white carpet. "AAAH, NO! LOOK WHAT YOU DID NOW!" Ashley screamed. Ellie grinned and left the room.
But unfortunately, here's what happened:
Ellie choked up and started to yell at Ashley: "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU. YOU CHANGED SO MUCH AFTER YOU CAME BACK HERE. I WISHED YOU NEVER CAME BACK. YOU MADE EVERYONE SO PISSED OFF AT YOU. DO YOU REALIZE NOW THAT YOU'RE LIKE SUCH A DITZY GIRLY-GIRL? YOU'RE NOT THE SAME ANYMORE. I HATE YOU! AND YOU SHOULDN'T BE TREATING BOYS THAT WAY! I'M THE ONE WHO LOVES JIMMY AND NOT YOU!" There she said it. Loud and crystal clear. Toby passed by the room and looked in. Eagerly he asked, "Is there gonna be a catfight here?" Ashley mugged him. "GO TO YOUR ROOM!" She yelled, throwing a pillow at him. He stalked off angrily. "You love Jimmy?" Ashley asked turning to Ellie, shocked. Ellie nodded slowly. "HA! I knew it. No wonder you were so interested in hearing about my love life. It's not for 'journalistic purposes'! It's for your own sake!" Ashley laughed. "Why are you laughing?" Ellie asked, expecting to hear a full lecture from Ashley. "Go for it, girlfriend. I was gonna break up with him today at the Dot. Well, just give it a day or two and he'll get over it then you can make your move. Besides, I love Craig more than I ever could be in love with Jimmy." Ashley shrugged. "Ashley, I take back all those horrible things I said to you. I love you, best friend." Ellie said smiling for the first time that day and hugging Ashley tightly. "Okay, get outta here though! I'm supposed to meet Jimmy in 15 minutes." Ashley said, glancing at the clock. Ellie waved goodbye and walked out of the house.
She hugged herself tightly and breathed in the fresh crisp air of the afternoon.
Maybe Life wasn't so bad after all...but oh,
She was going to get the shock of her life!