Getting to Know You

Part XXVII

When things fall apart…

When the last bell of the day rang, Eleanor sprang out of her seat and made her way quickly towards the front parking lot. If Theo was going to be a complete ass about the whole situation, she had a perfect right to mess with his head. And she intended to do just that…

When she reached the front doors, she looked out across the islands and finally spotted Brad sitting on the back of a green Nissan. she waved at him as she walked over, trying not to look like she was in too much of a rush, and he smiled and stood up.

"Hey Ellie," he greeted her cheerfully when she was close enough. "What did you want to meet up with me for?" he asked.

"Hey Brad, I just needed to be with a friend to talk to." She replied cryptically, holding out her arms and hugging him for no reason.

Brad was startled for a few seconds, then relaxed and hugged her back. After a couple seconds, Eleanor broke off the hug and smiled up at him, "Do you want to go somewhere else?" she asked.

"Uh, sure?" he answered, not exactly sure what was up with her but going along with it.

She tucked her hand into his and led him towards her van parked a few yards away. When they got closer, she told him to hop in as she climbed into the driver's seat and started up the engine. When Brad was in the passenger's seat and they were both buckled in, she pulled out of the parking lot and headed downtown towards the fair grounds. While she was driving, Brad reached over to the knob on the stereo and turned on the radio. When Trap of Love came on, Eleanor slammed her hand on the power button and plunged the ride into silence.

"Was there a reason you shut that off?" Brad asked, not really caring if she answered.

"I uh, don't like that one." Ellie brushed off, pulling into a parking space near the entrance to the fairgrounds. "Oh look at that, we're here."

They got out and started to walk along the deserted path that would fill with life each autumn as the annual fair was held. The mirror maze was unlocked and Eleanor led Brad in by the hand "In case they got lost". After about a good ten minutes of wandering, Brad stopped in his tracks and spun Eleanor around to face him.

"Okay now, spill it, what is up that you're acting like this?" he demanded.

Eleanor shifted her weight between feet before answering reluctantly, "Theo and I had another fight today in the hall, and this time I'm not sure if it's even worth the effort to keep going out with him."

"Alright, I can follow that. But why did you need to suddenly meet me back at school and then we come over here of all places?" he responded, motioning at the walls of reflective glass around them.

"Well, I'm not sure. But I know I wanted to talk to someone, and you're quite possibly the person that irks Theodore the most at the moment. I guess I just want to do something new. I mean, we're taking a break, so why can't I have fun?"

Brad glared off into the distance over her head and sighed, "Look, Ellie, I like you and all, but to be honest, I don't like to be used, even slightly. No guy does. So I need to know right now, are you serious about wanting to move on past Theo?"

She thought about that for a minute or two, and reluctantly answered, "Yes, I think we're done together."

"Fine, so now I know you're not cheating and it would be my fault, would you like to go to the block party Friday as more than friends?"

"Are you asking me out as a date?" she questioned, still a little chilled by the fact that she had just admitted to the spark of more than a year long relationship fading out.

"I know its shitty timing, but yeah. I like you, and I want to be with you." he continued, missing the look of pain on her face as she considered saying no to one of her nicest friends.

After a few more seconds with her answer on the tip of her tongue, she said yes and he pulled her close. After they found their way out of the mirror maze, they made their way back to her van hand in hand.

The rest of the week flew by after that afternoon, every day bringing Eleanor and Brad closer together, and all without getting too serious. They held hands, exchanged hugs in public, and in general, Eleanor was happy. But she noticed that the few times Theo walked by, he looked worse and worse. Though they had fought, she couldn't ignore the fact that they had been friends for years. And seeing him like this, boyfriend or not, worried her. He was usually upbeat and smiling, but now he looked beaten. It looked almost like he had lost no less than a dozen fights before getting out of bed. Finally, Friday night came and found her getting ready for her first official date with Brad.

While Ellie was changing in her room, her sister knocked on her door.

"El?" Jeanette called out quietly, poking her head around the door.

"Hey Jeanette," Eleanor greeted, "Come on in."

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked from the doorway.

Ellie shifted in her seat and waved her older sister to sit down on the bed across from her. "Of course you can. What is it?"

"Well, it's just that I'm getting worried is all…" Jeanette said quietly. "Do you actually like Brad, or are you going out with him to get back at Theodore?"

"That," she responded emphatically, "Is a ridiculous question. I don't go out with a guy unless I really like him. Besides, it's not like we're getting serious or anything."

"Oh I know you're keeping it innocent." Jeanette said defensively, "I'm just worried that you're going out with Brad to spite Theo, and to be honest, Simon and I are getting worried about him. Have you talked to him this week?"

"Well, we said hi in the hall, but other than that, no, I try and give him his space." Ellie said, staring off into space as she absentmindedly played with her hair.

"Are you really?" Jeanette probed further, "Or are you trying to fool someone?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" she asked, are you trying to say that I'm messing with Theo?"

"Well, you said that, not me. And no, I think you're trying to fool yourself into the idea that you're not doing any harm and this is all for the right reasons." She answered, a rather deep inference for a seventeen year old.

Ellie was silent for a minute as Jeanette stared at her and quietly tried to figure her out. Eventually, her younger sister turned around and told her to leave. "You're messing with my head Jeanette; and I don't want to yell at you."

She nodded her head and got up to leave, but as she reached the door, she turned around to say one last thing. "He loves you you know. Theodore, you're hurting him just by not being with him. Just saying…"

Eleanor sat in silence for a little bit before shrugging off her older sister's advice and promising herself that she would have fun at the block party. When the clock said that it was five, she went downstairs to wait for Brad to pick her up. Ten minutes later, he pulled up to the house and they were off.

Theo was pissed off at the world. He had watched all week unseen as his girlfriend was being stolen by that pretty boy Brad. There was something he didn't trust about him. He was too perfect to be real. And to top it all off, when he arrived at the block party, the first thing he noticed was Eleanor and Brad holding hands and laughing near the speakers. He had to do something to get her back, but he didn't know what…

Luckily for him, he didn't have to figure out how to get Ellie alone, that opportunity presented itself when Brad went off to who knows where to do whatever. When he was far enough out of the way, Theo walked over to Ellie and tried his best to act calm.

"Hey El," he greeted, "How's it going?"

"Oh… hi Theo." She returned, surprised by his presence, "It's uh, going well… I thought you said that parties weren't your thing."

"Well, I figured that if you were going to come, I'd at least try and have a good time." He lied, knowing full well that he had come here only to keep an eye on her and her date.

"That's nice, but you know that we're through right?" she asked, putting a little distance between him and her, "I mean, you're still my best friend, but I'm going out with Brad now."

Even though he heard her say the last few words, he tried to ignore them. "Ellie, I', going to be honest, I love you. I always did and I always will, but I am really getting a bad vibe from this Brad guy… I mean, we had something special, and I'll try and change so we don't fight like that ever again. Just please give me a chance."

Ellie took a step back and tried to get even more space from Theo, clearly freaked out by his response. "I told you already, I'm with Brad and that's how it is now. If you don't like it, then that's your problem!"

Theo took a breath and tried to say the next sentence as calmly as he could, "I'm telling you though Ellie, I may have my faults, but Brad is just too perfect, there's something up with him."

"There is nothing wrong with Brad!" she yelled, almost drowning out the sound system, "If you can't deal with the fact that I've moved on, then there's something wrong with YOU!"

Just then, Brad walked over holding a couple cans of soda, "Uh, am I interrupting something here?" he asked innocently.

"No you're not." Ellie answered forcefully, sidling up to Brad and draping one arm around his waist. Then, just to drive the point home to Theo, she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down for a deep, showy, kiss.

When they finally broke away, Eleanor gasping for breath, Theo felt like the ground beneath his feet had split and swallowed him whole. He turned on his heel and walked over to his car, peeling off down the road towards his house.

"Okay, now seriously, what the hell was that about?" Brad asked, staring off into the distance after Theo's car and looking to his date for answers.

Ellie stood there in stunned silence, not daring to believe that she had just done something to bitchy to her best friend. But then she reminded herself that it was none of his business what she did with her new boyfriend. "That was just a little uh… discussion?" she offered, looking up into her dates eyes innocently.

"Well, whatever you say it was, if you need me to help you with it, I'm here for you…" he offered, putting his arm around her shoulders and steering her over to the dance floor as the sun set and the music grew…..

Well, there you go, two chapters left in GtKY, after this story is done, I will be writing for Danny Phantom. So if that sounds like something you'd like, feel free to tag me and you'll be alerted when my first new story comes out. But don't worry; it won't be for awhile yet. Updates will be awkward for a little bit though since school restarted and I'm getting used to appropriate times to get my writing done. Tune in next week for what happens in the week after the party and Theo's seemingly FINAL rejection by Ellie. And, if you're lucky and you review or PM me with your ideas, I might just use them…

You read it, now REVIEW it. Any questions should be mailed to me via Private Message, and I hope I can hear from all of you. It is truly your continued reading that makes me keep writing and feeling good.

Happy Living,

Musicalreader