Saving Us || l.h

S E V E N

My sister was spending Christmas with her boyfriend, my parents were going on a trip, some cruise or something. And I was stuck at our Los Angeles house for Christmas. Not exactly how I thought I'd be spending it.

"Hey, it's Ellie, I can't come to the phone right now so leave a message!" Her perky voicemail says yet again. I sigh, listening for the beep. "Hey El, it's Cal, just wondering if you are staying in town for Christmas or not... Or if you are leaving what day and what day you get back, I'll talk to you later." I hang up, tossing my phone on the couch beside me.

The doorbell rings and I grab my wallet, walking over. "One small pepperoni pizza?" I nod, pulling out a 20. He gives me my change and I give him 3 dollars in tip, closing the door. I put the pizza on the coffee table, opening a beer. I turn on the tv, surfing through channels as I eat my pizza alone.

Around 9, my phone rings, Ellie's face popping up on the screen. "Hey." I answer, pressing the phone to my ear. "I'm so sorry I didn't answer your calls. I went out with the girls last night and I've been hungover all day." I laughed, switching my phone to my other ear to pause my movie.

"How was your girls night out?" "It was good! Sophie is still hungover, but everyone else is pretty much back to normal." "That's good. Really good." "Yeah, so about Christmas, my family is actually in Haiti right now so I was planning on spending it here, the girls are all leaving so I get the apartment to myself and I'll probably just eat way too many cookies and watch sappy Christmas movies." "Do you want to do that with me? My parents are on a cruise, my sisters with her boyfriend, I'm doing absolutely nothing." "I'd love to Cal! The girls all leave tomorrow, can I come over after dropping them off at the airport." "Yeah. And if I'm asleep the key is in the light, just lift the cover and it should be there."

"Got it. I'll see you tomorrow." "See you tomorrow." I hang up, smiling to myself. I look around me, seeing half eaten slices of pizza in the box. I sigh, picking it all up and putting it in the garbage, grabbing another beer before going back to my movie.

-

"Wake up Cal! It's 4 in the afternoon!" Ellie smacks me with a pillow, making me groan. I slowly turn over and she sits on top of me, smiling down at me. "We should go do something instead of you just sleeping and me sitting here bored." "You could have woken me when you got here." I mumble, rubbing my face. I had about a three day beard, if you could even call it that, growing and it was a bit itchy. "I got here at 7, I don't think you would have liked that." "You always seemed to be a morning person." I smile, sitting up.

"Go shower and then we are doing something." She orders, climbing off my lap. "Yes ma'am." I salute her, walking to my room. "Unless you'd like to join me." I offer, peeking out of my room. "Go shower." She orders, pointing behind me. I take a fast shower, changing into jeans and a T-shirt before coming out into the living room. Ellie was eating a quesadilla and watching some show on MTV, her eyes glued to the screen.

"Ready to go?" I ask. "One second." She mutters, holding up a finger. I laugh, grabbing my keys and wallet, my phone already in my pocket. She comes into the kitchen, putting her plate in the sink before turning to me. "Where to?" I ask, leading the way to my car. "Target. I need some things." "Got it. I should probably get some food while I'm there." I nod. I drive to the nearest target, both of us parting ways to get what we needed.

I got things for a pasta dinner, deciding that's what we'd have for Christmas dinner. I get a few other things I had run out of, putting them in my basket. I wander around the store, finding Ellie examining two different things of the wand thing. "Is longer or thicker better?" She asks, turning to me. "Um, longer?" I ask and she furrows her eyebrows. "What if I got both, doing a light coat of each..." She ponders, looking back at the packages.