Drive-In Hearts

Trouble

Living for you is easy living / It's easy to live when you're in love / And I'm so in love....

Ellie hummed to the rhythm of Billie Holiday's sweet voice streaming out of the record player. She was reading her textbook, taking notes of chemical reactions and immersing herself simultaneously in rigid science and relaxing tunes.

Suddenly, a doorbell rang from below, shaking her out of her reverie. She made her way to the staircase, and stopped in her tracks in the middle of the stairs.

Her father opened the door, revealing a beaming Dennis.

"Hey, Mr. Gibson. Is Elena home?" he asked, combing back his greasy hair.

Ellie was about to speak, but her father spoke first.

"I'm sorry, Dennis. Elena has to study for the chemistry exam on Monday. I think you should do the same," he stated, crossing his arms to guard him from coming inside.

"I--I mean, can't we study together? That's why--I'm here," Dennis stuttered as he smiled sheepishly.

Mr. Gibson frowned. "Nice try, Dennis, but the answer is no. Elena got a C on her last exam. That won't happen again."

"Come on, Mr. Gibson. Please?" Dennis begged.

Ellie's father shut the door on Dennis's face. Before he turned around, Ellie withdrew back upstairs into her bedroom. She closed the door softly to conceal her brief escapade, then slid down on the floor, sighing deeply. She rubbed her eyes and temple, attempting to refocus her brain into study mode.

Then, she heard a clink from the window.

She got up and opened the curtains, squinting into the darkness below. In the faint glow of the porchlight, she saw a familiar silhouette.

Actually, two silhouettes.

She opened the window.

"Dennis?"

"Hey Ellie!" Dennis loudly whispered. "Someone wants to see you!"

"Who?"

As soon as she asked, the man of her dreams stood in the dim light, smirking.

"Hey princess," he greeted, saluting her.

Ellie grimaced. "What the hell," she hissed.

Dennis raised an eyebrow, and B just chuckled. "Is this how you treat your beaus?" he asked with a smile.

She looked back inside to make sure her bedroom door was closed. " I didn't ask for this. You're gonna get me in trouble," she hissed, pointing at the both of them.

Dennis just looked at B, awaiting a command.

"You're not gonna get in trouble, because you're not really gonna leave," said B. He waved to Dennis. Dennis then stood with his back on the house wall, bending his knees as his hands were cusped before them.

Ellie's eyes widened. "What are you doing?"

Without a word, B sprinted towards Dennis, stepped on his hands, and reached for her windowsill. Ellie stepped back and yelped, covering her own mouth to hide the fact that...

Her crush just entered her bedroom!

When B climbed into her sacred space, she stood back by the wall, nearest the exit.

"B, if you do anything to me, I will scream," she warned him with a wavering voice. Her cheeks, though, gave away what she was really feeling.

He chuckled, but then silenced himself when he heard music. "Billie Holiday huh? I'm more of an Ella Fitzgerald guy myself," he said.