A Side Order of Fate

Chapter 2

Ella

Ella thought that he had a very nice smile. Though it was sad and wistful, it held the secret promise of happiness hidden underneath. His perfectly straight white teeth were something out of a movie, and his full lips looked yummy.

She completely understood what he was going through. She'd been there, too at one point in her life. And she'd gotten through it with the help of a friend, pulling through into a stronger and more hopeful girl. She felt that she needed to help him, to pass on the favor that was bestowed upon her to him.

Him. Conrad. She tested the name in her mind and found he liked the way it sounded. He had a sad but easy smile and he looked very tired. His brown hair had been grown out, and looked like it hasn't seen the scissors in a while. He, in truth, reminded her of her little brother, Mikey who always refused a haircut. Ella thought that before he lost his girlfriend, he must have been quite handsome. Quite the lady's man, probably. 

Considering the circumstances, he was surprisingly open with her and seemed to be relieved to have someone to tell his problems to. It looked as if by sharing his story, a considerable weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Though she could tell that they still sagged and he was still filled with a grief so large it was eating him alive.

She desperately wanted to help him. An she thought she knew how to do it. She wasn't sure if she would be able to convince him to go along with it, but she would try.

The fact that he was already telling her so much filled Ella with hope. She was reminded of her own past, and the people she had loved and lost. Some she barely got to know before they were ripped from her hands. Only one person had stood by her side the whole time. And that was Mikey, her little brother. He'd always looked up to her and she'd always looked out for him. A bully at school? No problem for the hero big sister. Failing English class? Forget about it.

It was funny though, no matter how many people walked out of her life her brother was a constant. But she was such a terrible role model for Mikey, she didn't know half of what she was doing. But since Mikey looked up to her, that must have meant she was doing something right. Right?

Now here was Conrad, a very lonely guy who had been running for so long, and he happened to run into her. She would never tell him this, but she was glad for his company. She knew that somehow, someway, he was going to change her life. For better or worse, she wasn't sure yet, but she knew that after getting to know Conrad, she would be a different person entirely.

~

Conrad

She was being so nice to him. Ella seemed like a really nice girl and he worried that he might accidentally bring down that enthusiasm or somehow squash it completely. He was wary of her, like a kid is wary of dropping the training wheels and getting on the big kid bike. Worrying his lower lip, Conrad scrutinized her while she looked out the window of the diner where she was a waitress. She was really quite beautiful, even with her plain features and lack of makeup. 

Her golden brown hair was cut short and out if the way. It glinted in the light of the dying sunset. The beautiful eye he kept staring into really were the colour of the ocean, and looking at them was like looking into a new world filled with laughter and promise. She had perky lips and cute little ears complete with diamond studs.

She was almost like a small fairy. And the petite size made Conrad want to hold her close and tuck her head under his chin. He wanted to hold her and keep her there, so he could build up a false pretense of the hope he felt when he looked at her. But of course, he only wanted to hold her because of his inner teenage hormones, even though he was sure those had passed a while ago, when he was in high school. He was sure that he didn't really feel attracted to her, he just lost his girlfriend and he didn't even know this girl who had saved his life. And yet, there was something in her, a spark of determination that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

Ella turned to Conrad and asked, "Do you want to meet me tomorrow? They have the best milkshakes here."

He smiled at her forwardness, "Sure."

They exchanged phone numbers and he slipped it back into his pocket when Ella had programmed hers in.

Even though they'd only just met, he felt like he kind of knew her. Like there was a connection between them, but he just didn't know it yet. She was so kind and gentle to him. Not even raising her voice when he snapped at her that she didn't know what he was going through.

With Marie, they fought all the time about nothing and everything. But that was what couples did, right? The fought, they got over it, and lived happily ever after.

But not this time.

He thought that maybe this was the decision of someone high and mighty to give him a second chance. He felt like he owed it to Marie to try and redeem himself, start a new life. Maybe Ella was his key to starting over. Maybe she could set him on the path of new beginnings. Not as a romantic interest, of course, but as a friend. He didn't think he'd be able to date for a while anyway. Marie was his first and only real love. Theirs had been something great, and he wasn't willing to throw the memory of it away that easily.  

Sure, he'd dated a bit before Marie, but he'd never actually planned on settling down. The thought never really came to him before he realized he was in love with Marie.

Marie had been stunningly beautiful. Her model body was almost as tall as his six foot frame and she had long blond hair that flowed perfectly down her straight back, never a hair out of place. Her green eyes reminded him of the grass in summer, and she always smelt like fresh lavender. She was always so put together and she looked perfect even when she woke up.

The couple of weeks before that fateful night, she'd become distant, like there had been something on her mind. He was sure that was due to the death of the distant relative. She hasn't even let him come to the funeral and he hadn't pushed her. Despite of the distance, she'd always been faithful to him and Conrad had often wondered why she stayed with him. He wasn't especially attractive, and she could have any guy she wanted with that body and face. Yet she picked him, he couldn't help but wonder why, and let that bump up his ego a bit. They had loved each other.

So enraptured in his thoughts, he hadn't noticed that he had ended up in front of his apartment. Nodding to Stan the doorman, he made his way to the elevators and pushed the button that would take him to his floor. The elevator began to move, and he was happy when he reached the fourth floor, no longer having to listen to the soft elevator music.

Conrad made his way to his room, and producing a key unlocked the door. He almost didn't make it to the bed before he fell sound asleep.

~

Heyyoo here's the second chapter. Um, read, comment, vote; whatever floats your boat. This hasn't been edited yet, so I'm not sure how many mistakes there are. Try to bypass them. :)

Smile on.. Emmy.