Chapter 170: Gotham City
Friday, January 13th, Late Morning-Afternoon
The light finally woke her up. Throwing off the covers, she sat up and looked out the big plate-glass windows. Reaching up, she pushed a few stray slightly curled blonde locks of hair out of her eyes and put them behind her ear. Looking over to the nightstand, she saw the clock radio she slept in as it was near noon.
Looking down, she saw the shirt she grabbed last night or was it this morning. It was Trin's shirt, Ellie reflected, she's in one of Trin's extra bedrooms. Last night, it wasn't a dream; she came to Trin's, not her, place. She must have been in bad shape to drag Trin and Wyatt into this.
Ellie got up and wondered if she was going to do the walk of shame today. Looking around the room, she saw a stack of clothes in the nearby chair. Ellie slowly walked over to the chair and looked at the clothes.
She picked up the shirt that was on the top of the pile. Ellie looked it over. It was in Ellie's size, and she looked at the label in the clothes. Ellie smiled and looked at the shirt again. Trin got it for Ellie from work.
Ellie pulled off the t-shirt she was wearing, folded it, and put it down. She walked over to the mirror and looked at herself. She was getting too thin; she reflected and looked at her tattoo on her ribs. Ellie returned to the pile of clothes that Trin got her and dug through them. There were fresh and laundered underwear, bras, and even jeans. Ellie smiled and sorted through them to see what she wanted to wear.
It was now realizing how foolish she was for taking off her shirt. She should have gone through the pile first. She shook her head, maybe waking up in Trin's guest room threw her off. Then again, she reflected, she didn't go through the pile of clothes.
Ellie walked over to the shirt she wore last night. It was an old shirt with fading graphics; Ellie smiled at the memories came back. Ellie nodded and finished stripping out of the clothes she wore to bed. Ellie dressed in the clothes she chose and walked over to the mirror again. She took how she looked in, and Ellie nodded. This style was an older look for her, but it brought her comfort. Looking around, she couldn't find her smartphone.
Leaving the room, she headed to the kitchenette. Her stomach growled with hunger. Turning into the kitchenette and found Trin sitting at the breakfast bar with her laptop open.
"Well, I see someone is still alive," Trin said, looking up from her laptop.
"I guess I was tired," Ellie said.
"Yeah, you had a crazy night when you showed up on my door," Trin said.
Ellie nodded, "Yeah," she said.
"There's some fruit salad in the fridge if you want to eat," Trin said.
Ellie nodded and went into the fridge and found the bowl of fruit salad. She was looking through the cabinets she found a bowl and flatware. Ellie made herself a bowl. Once done, she cleaned up, and taking the bowl; she sat down next to Trin.
"Have you seen my phone?" Ellie asked.
"Yeah," Trin said.
"Where is it?" Ellie asked.
"It's in my office buzzing off the hook, I'm personally hoping it died, just so it would shut up," Trin said.
Ellie nodded, accepting the state of her phone, "Thanks," she said.
"Why are you looking for your phone?" Trin asked.
"I want to call Kay," Ellie said.
"This must be serious, you're calling the twin," Trin said.
"I do talk to my sisters," Ellie said.
"Yeah, usually the ones named Candi and Sawyer," Trin said.
"Well, Sawyer needs my guidance," Ellie said.
"Right," Trin said.
"Look, Trin," Ellie started saying then just sighed, "Well, I just don't know anymore."
Trin nodded, "I get it, you need to regroup," Trin said, "Remember I've been there."
"I need to go to the Brownstone," Ellie said.
"Why?" Trin asked.
"My work, laptop, and well it was generous for you to get me clothes, I don't think it's enough," Ellie said.
"You're not going to the brownstone alone, and when is your work due?" Trin asked.
"I got time," Ellie said.
Trin smiled, "Good, my mom will be in town tonight, and she'll have Bobbi-Lee and Sam with her," she said.
"Are you saying they're some sort of Charlie's Angels Strike Force?" Ellie asked.
"Would you cross Bobbi or Sam?" Trin asked in return.
"Bobbi no, Sam hell no," Ellie said.
"Thought so," Trin said.
"Thanks for the clothes, what do I owe you?" Ellie asked.
"You're welcome, and I think you know what I want," Trin said.
"I'm not leaving my friends," Ellie said.
"No, not that, and I never asked you to leave them out of your life," Trin said.
"Then what?" Ellie asked.
"The other thing," Trin said.
Ellie sighed, "Fine, I'll do it," she said.
"Good," Trin said, "Go get your phone call done. I'll be here when you get back."
Ellie nodded and finished up her fruit salad. She cleaned up after herself and left the kitchenette. Trin sighed and returned to her work, pausing for a moment, she fired off a quick message. Ellie was a big girl, not only in age but height; she was the muscle of their group. Ellie, on the other hand, as hardened as she is/was; is a romantic at heart, and like her twin sister Kay an odd mix. One thing Trin noted about Ellie as she was a typical July cusp, having aspects of Leo and Cancer. Ellie had the squishy inside of a Cancer, but she was born on the first day of Leo. Kay was the Cancer. Trin thought about it, and both twins had that squishy inside.
That was why she wanted to wait until reinforcements arrived, any one of those three women arriving tonight would reduce Miss Port Washington to a quivering mass of tissue. Trin took a strong dislike to Ainsley Wilcox when she first met her. Trin thought about it, and she concluded that Ainsley was what Trin was going to become if she didn't move before she went to high school. Tree Hill grounded her, for some reason. Trin sighed, she did go down a dark path, his name was Brian, and the only good thing that came out of it was Wyatt. Her path was nowhere near as dark as what she saw Ainsley Wilcox was walking.
Trin was about to get up when she saw Ellie return. Ellie had her vintage Moto-jacket draped over her arm.
"Do you have an extra charger?" Ellie asked.
"Somewhere," Trin said.
"Thanks, the phone's dying," Ellie said.
Trin dug in her bag and handed Ellie something. "That should get you most of your battery quickly," she said.
"Thanks," Ellie said.
"So, where are you off to?" Trin asked.
"Strand Bookstore," Ellie said.
"The East Village, Els, you like playing with fire," Trin said.
"Ainsley doesn't know I like that store," Ellie said.
"Right," Trin said.
"Anyway, I've made an appointment to meet someone, and you know I always keep my appointments," Ellie said.
Trin sighed, "Els, sometimes, I think you're like the moth to the flame," she said.
"Well, I was planning on telling this guy that I'm going to put things on the back burner for now," Ellie said.
"Why?" Trin asked, wondering about this, un Ellie like, statement. "I need to sort all this shit out with Ainsley," Ellie said.
"That sounds like a plan," Trin said.
"I still have to go to the appointment," Ellie said.
"Just call it what it is, Els, a date," Trin said.
"We're not quite at the date stage," Ellie said.
"So, right back here, and try not to stay out too late," Trin said.
"I won't, Mom," Ellie said, "Thanks for the clothes again, but they aren't my usual style," Ellie said.
"You're welcome," Trin said.
"So, why did you get me my old look?" Ellie asked.
Trin shook her head, "I wanted you to remember that you're Ellie Scott," she said.
"I've always been Ellie Scott," Ellie said.
"No, the style you've been dressing in is Libby, not Ellie, and you need to be Ellie, again," Trin said.
"I've always been, Ellie," Ellie said, "But why, Trin?"
"Els, I'm not going to support that mask you wear. You're not Libby, you're Ellie," Trin said, "I've known you too long to know the truth."
"You let Wyatt call me Libby," Ellie said.
"It was easier for him to say," Trin said.
Ellie nodded, "I'm out, and I'll not be out too late," she said, and handed the device back to Trin.
"If you end up in the Tombs call Fallon," Trin said.
Ellie laughed, "I will," she said, and left the apartment.
In the elevator, she slipped on the vintage leather jacket from last night. It was something she didn't buy but found in one of the closets of the Brownstone when she moved in. The moto jacket was well broken in and fit well, and for some strange reason, it seemed to go with everything she owned.
Ellie left the building and headed to Fifth Avenue, which she crossed and found the bus stop at the southeast corner of The Met. She took the M Bus downtown. The traffic was with them, and soon they were driving past the Main Branch of the Library and Bryant Park. Ellie got off at the Fifth Avenue and Thirteenth Street stop. She headed east to Broadway and then a block south to her favorite bookstore, Strand Bookstore.
Checking her smartphone, she was five minutes early, so she was right on time. Walking into the store, she looked around and texted Bietio. He replied with what section he was in, which Ellie knew right away where he was located and headed there.
She found Bietio waiting for her. He smiled, closed the book he was reading, and put it back on the shelf.
"Hey, Libby," Bietio said.
"Hi, Bietio," Ellie said.
"How are you doing?" Bietio asked a touch of concern in his voice.
Ellie shrugged, "I'm alright," she said.
"What happened last night?" Bietio asked.
"It's sort of complex," Ellie said.
"Are you and Ainsley lovers or dating?" Bietio asked.
Ellie shook her head, "No, I've always considered her a good friend, and nothing physical," she said.
"You're…" Bietio started to say.
"Demisexual," Ellie said, "If we need to put a label on it."
"Okay," Bietio said, confused.
"Ainsley made a move, and I asked for space, but she crossed a line," Ellie said.
"That sounds like Ainsley," Bietio said.
"Well, I don't know if that changes anything for you, but we made these arrangements, and I keep my word," Ellie said.
"It just makes things interesting," Bietio said.
"Interesting as in curious or a Chinese Curse?" Ellie asked.
"Hopefully interesting," Bietio said.
Ellie nodded, "That's a good thing," she said.
"Yes, it is," Bietio said.
"I might want to put this on the back burner for a while," Ellie said.
"For what and how long?" Bietio asked.
"I need to clear my head," Ellie said.
"I understand," Bietio said, and nodded.
"Let's see how things go tonight," Ellie said.
"Tonight?" Bietio asked, confused.
"Yes, we've got tonight, who needs tomorrow?" Ellie said.
"I could do that," Bietio said.
"Alright, where shall we start?" Ellie asked.
"Well, for one, why do they call you Libby?" Bietio asked.
"Ainsley saw it on my sorority jacket and liked it," Ellie said.
"Sorority?" Bietio asked, more in surprise than anything.
"Yeah, in college," Ellie said.
"So, why did they call you Libby?" Bietio asked.
"Two reasons, it's a nickname based on my name Elizabeth, and there was already a Liz and an El in the sorority, and they also considered me a libertine," Ellie said.
"Oh," Bietio said.
"Don't worry about it," Ellie said, "Like most stories, there's a kernel of truth surrounded by embellishment."
"You've dressed differently," Bietio said.
"This Bietio is as raw and exposed as you'll see me tonight," Ellie said, "This is Elizabeth Scott, and I've dropped all my pretenses."
Bietio nodded and looked t Ellie. He didn't know what to say. He wasn't sure if he was worthy. Ellie looked at him and smiled, one step at a time.