November 2005
"Come on El, we're already late because you were too scared to sneak out." Jessie said, not waiting for her cousin to catch up.
Eloise pulled her coat tightly around her slender body as the winter wind blew. She couldn't stop herself from looking over her shoulder, almost expecting to see one of her grandparents chasing her. She jogged to her older cousin's side.
"Jess, I really don't think I should do this. Maybe I should just go back." Eloise said, her teeth chattering, she still wasn't use to the winter weather.
She doubted she would ever be. It was far from the heat of Phoenix. Far from the friends she had known her whole life. Far from anything she could consider home.
Jessie stopped and looked at her. She smiled softly and sat her hands on El's shoulders.
"Ellie, I know things have been hard for you. I couldn't imagine having to move across the country from everything I have ever known. But I've watched you mope around Gramps and Grams house for almost two months. I've seen you throw yourself into your school work and not make one single friend."
Eloise wiped a stray tear that had fallen from her green eyes.
"If you really want, we can go back. Act like this night never happened, or we can go in that house right there and maybe have fun, meet a couple cute guys, I know one is already waiting for me. It was just your birthday, I didn't get you a gift, think of this as my gift to you."
"OK." El said softly, her cousin already walking towards the house, giving her no choice. Jessie had the only key to the house. El knew if she went back, she'd be stuck outside until morning, or whenever Jess decided to come back home, and she'd probably have to have her legs amputated from frostbite having wore the mini skirt Jessie shoved at her. As they walked in Jessie took her coat, the only thing she had that made her not feel naked in the small, tight t-shirt Jessie had made her wear. A drink was shoved in her hands.
"I'm not old enough." She tried handing it back.
"I'm not asking for your ID." The guy said.
"I've been waiting for you, Jess." Slipping his arm around Jessie's neck, pulling her away from El, and up the stairs.
El looked around the room, several couples were making out. People were gathered into groups talking. She felt out of place. That was a normal feeling lately with her. No matter how welcome her grandparents tried to make her feel, she just felt like she wasn't made to live in Boston. She found an empty spot on the couch, and looked down at the red cup in her hand. She swirled the golden liquid, wondering where she could sit it at, and hoping the hours would tick by quickly and Jessie would be ready to leave.
"Ya look about as uncomfortable as I feel." A voice sounded over her.
She looked up seeing his blue eyes before anything else.
He looked young, and in shape. He smiled at her.
"Is it really that noticeable?" She asked softly, returning the smile.
"I like your accent." She said as he sat next to her.
"Tanks." He said.
"I'm Fergal." He held out his hand, his arm muscles flexing.
"Ellie." She told him, taking his hand.
"So that girl ya came in with. She a friend?" He asked her.
"Cousin. Why?" Ellie asked, waiting for him to ask her name.
Jessie was what all the boys wanted. Beautiful blonde haired, blue eyed girl. El, on the other hand, felt as if she was the farthest thing from any guys wants. She felt plain, like no one ever looked at her. She couldn't see how her green eyes shined as she tucked a piece of her dark brown hair behind her ear. She couldn't see herself the way others did.
"I've seen her at these tings before, just wondering how I've missed seeing you." He smiled at her, making her blush.
"This is my first one. She made me come. Her boyfriend comes to these things." Ellie confessed.
"She says I need to make friends."
"I don't know if her kind of friends are what yer looking for."
"Why would you say that?" El asked.
"Ya haven't touched that beer in yer hand." He said.
"She drinks a lot."
A guy sat on the other side of her, making her instinctively lean towards Fergal.
"You're pretty." He said, his breath smelt of alcohol. El shot him a quick smile turning back to Fergal.
Just as her head turned, the guy reached out and rubbed her leg.
"Please don't touch me." El said, moving the guys hand, but he put it right back.
"Hey pal, are ya dim? She asked ya not to touch her." Fergal said, moving the guys hand.
The guy laughed, and reached over and grabbed her around the waist, trying to kiss her, making her spill some of the beer while trying to fend him off.
Fergal was on his feet, the commotion knocking the beer out of her hands, making it land in her lap, his hand grabbed the guys shirt, pulling him up.
"She told ya to leave her alone Fella. Can't ya hear?"
The guy laughed and Fergal's free hand balled into a fist.
"Fergal, don't." El said jumping up and pulling him back.
"He's not worth getting in trouble over."
Fergal pushed the guy back down on the couch, turning to Ellie.
"I'm sorry Ellie, I didn't mean ta make ya spill on yerself."
"I knew I should have stayed home and studied." Ellie smiled at him.
"I can walk ya home if ya want?" He suggested.
"I don't have a key. I'd have to knock, I really don't want to see the look of disappointment in my grandparents eyes." She told him.
"It's ok. I'll try to find Jessie."
"If ya want, we can go to my place, it's only about tree or four houses away. I'll have something for ya to change to."
"Tree or four huh?" She repeated making him laugh.
He slouched out of his jacket, holding it for her to slip her arms in as they headed out.
"How long have you been in America?"
"Just a couple weeks. I'm staying with me uncle and aunt. They have a small apartment above the garage that they let me stay in." He told her.
"Look, a shooting star." He pointed.
"Make a wish."
"Oh I have plenty of wishes, but I don't think a rock falling through the earth's atmosphere will grant any of them."
"Ya don't believe in that kind of ting?" He asked her.
"Nah. I've had too many disappointments in life to believe in fairy tales." She smiled at him.
"So ya said studying, are ya in University?"
"No. I'm in high school."
"Yer codding me."
"I have no clue what you just said." She smiled at him.
"Here we are." He said, turning into a short driveway.
He lead her to a door and opened it for her.
"Codding, joking, ya know."
"Oh, no. I'm really in high school, I am taking a couple college courses, but, yeah, still high school."
He unlocked the door at the top of the stairs, letting her in first.
It was a small apartment, a living room big enough to hold a couch, tv, and small dinette table, with the tiniest kitchen she had ever seen.
He walked in one of the two closed doors on the other side of the room, then came out with a small stack of clothes.
"A pair of sweats and a t-shirt. Both will be big on ya, but the pants have a string to tie." He said to her.
"Ya can shower off if ya want. Dere are towels in dere." He pointed towards the bathroom.
El started the shower, stepping in and grabbing the soap. She smiled as she smelled it. It smelled like him.
After a few minutes she stepped out grabbing a towel, drying off. She picked up the clothes he brought her.
As she was about to pull on the pants there was a light knock at he door. She pulled the towel around her, opening the door slightly.
"Surry." He said, his eyes getting big and a smile crossed his lips as his eyes scanned her wet, naked body.
"I just thought yer knickers probably got wet. Ya can try dese."
He handed her a small pair of nude colored spandex.
"They go under me ring gear. They should be small enough for ya. They're clean too." He said.
"And I was just gonna make something ta eat, if ya want. Or I can walk ya back to yer house. Just what ever ya want. I don't have too much to choose frum. But I can figure something up for us. And I sound like a dope. Surry. I just really didn't expect ya to open the door in just a towel. I mean, ya were a fine bit of stuff before, but yer a sound ride."
"Again, no clue what you're talking about." She smiled softly at him, taking the piece of fabric from his hands, closing the door.
"Uh, ya never told me if ya wanted to eat or go home." He said through the door.
"Or I can make some tea."
"Tea sounds good." She smiled to herself, knowing she wasn't ready to leave his side yet.
El walked out of the bathroom, catching Fergal's eye right away. He was sitting on the couch, a couple mugs in front of him on the table.
He patted the cushion next to him.
"Can I ask you something?" She asked, sitting next to him, pulling her leg under her, facing him.
He shifted his body so that he was turned towards her, muting the tv and nodding.
"What does 'a fine bit of stuff' and a 'sound ride' mean?"
"Can I ask ya something first?"
"Sure."
"How old are ya?"
"I'm 18." She told him.
"Ya aren't lying about that are ya?"
"I can show you my ID if you want." She smiled.
"I turned 18 tree days ago." She couldn't help but giggle.
"Are ya making fun of me accent?" He smiled.
"Never. I love it." She admitted.
"It adds to how amazingly attractive you are." Her cheeks blushed.
"It amazes me how open ya Americans are." He said.
"Why? By telling you that you're gorgeous?" El asked, and he nodded.
"I'm not."
"Gorgeous?" He asked confused.
"Well that too, I meant open. I don't ever tell anyone stuff like that." She said.
"Maybe I got drunk on the fumes from the beer."
"Ya are beautiful." He said, making her shake her head.
"That's what I was telling ya at the door. I had to ask yer age, I can't get in trouble over here messing with an underage girl. Do the tights fit?"
"They'll do the job." She smiled.
"Speaking of, what's ring gear?"
"Oh, I'm a wrestler."
"Shut up. You are not."
"I am. I'm over here getting some experience." He told her.
"Are you any good?" She asked.
"I'm tryin' ta be." He said, turning more towards her, pulling his leg up between them.
"I can't even remember how many years I have wanted this. I've thought of nothing else for my future."
"And is it worth leaving everything you've ever known?" Ellie asked.
"Is it worth leaving Ireland, leaving family?"
"I will make it be worth it." He smiled at her, reaching over and tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
He let his hand fall to hers, taking her hand in his.
"Tell me about yourself Ellie. What has made you stop believing in fairy tales?"
"Life has been hard." She started, reaching over and grabbing the mug on the table, taking a drink, wrapping both hands around the warm mug.
"Is it good?"
"It's nice, warm. My hands and feet are freezing." She said sitting the cup back on the table.
"I can turn up the heat." He said, getting up and walking to his room.
He came back out and gave her a pair of fuzzy socks before walking toward the thermostat.
"Don't worry about the heat. If it feels good to you then leave it." El told him, pulling the socks on.
"I'm always cold. I don't think I'll ever get used to this weather. Phoenix is so much warmer."
"How long have ya been in Boston?" He asked, sitting next to her, a little closer than before.
She reached over and took his hands.
"You're warm." She smiled.
"I've been here about two months."
"I take it moving here wasn't yer choice?" He asked, rubbing her hands in his.
"No. I lived with my mom in Phoenix. It was just the two of us. I never knew my dad. She was young when she got pregnant with me, and he didn't stick around. She's always had issues. Drinking, keeping jobs. We've always moved around from place to place. Things got worse as I got older and could take better care of her. She turned to drugs. My grandparents tried numerous times to get me to move with them, but as bad as things were at home, I was scared to leave her." She told him.
"I came home one day after school and found her unconscious, she wasn't breathing. I called 911. I had to watch as they brought my mom back to life. And that was it for my grandma. I didn't get the choice anymore. My mom was sent to rehab and I was taken from everything I have ever known."
"Oh wow. I'm truly surry, El." Fergal said, wiping a tear from her face.
"I mean, I'm 18. Legally I can do what I want." She smiled at him.
"But I know my grandparents are trying their best to fix what I never had. I don't want to disappoint them by running off and screwing up my life like my mom did."
"Is that the sun?" Fergal asked about the light coming in the window.
It had really only seemed like minutes since they had started talking, but the night had slipped away, and they had fallen asleep laying against each other.
"Oh geez." El said, stretching, looking at the clock.
"Shit. It's almost 10. I need to get home. My clothes are probably dry by now."
"But they will still smell. Just wear those." Fergal told her getting up and grabbing a sweatshirt from one of the chairs.
"Here. It'll be cold." He smiled, pulling his own coat on.
"I'll walk you."
He walked her the two blocks, his hand holding hers the whole time.
"Are your grandparents going to be mad?"
"Nah, they're still at church, they probably have no clue that I'm not here."
"I'd like to see ya again." He smiled at her as they stood on the porch of her grandparents house.
"Tonight?"
"Tonight? Haven't you had enough of me?" El smiled.
"I don't think that's possible." Fergal grinned.
"I have a show tonight. I'd like ya to come, see what I do. Maybe we can go to dinner after?"
"We usually have a big family lunch, I don't know if I can escape it." El frowned.
"Maybe another time then." Fergal said softly, leaning in and pressing his lips to hers, never wanting to regret not doing it just once.
"I'll see ya around, then." He said, turning to walk away.
"Fergal, wait." El said.
"Come today. It starts at 3. I'll make sure we can get out in time for your show."
He took the step back to her, pulling her into his arms, kissing her.
"I'll be here at tree then." He said, his forehead pressed to hers.
"I'll see you then." El smiled, opening the door and watching as he walked down the stairs.
He turned and gave her one last smile, before heading home.