All I Want Is Everything

Ella's feeling better

I'm going be a good girl
So everybody loves me
I'm gonna do what they say
Let them chose the games that we play

Good girl, good girl
Gonna be a good girl
Good dog, good girl
Gonna be a good girl

I'm gonna smile til it hurts
So everybody loves me
I'll bend over backwards
Swallow all my angry words

The Go-Gos, Good Girl

The next morning, Ella was up early-ish--around 8:30-- and called Becca after getting the note she'd pushed under the door. Their appointment was at ten and they agreed to meet for breakfast downstairs. Becca smiled as Ella ordered french toast with syrup and butter,  scrambled eggs, and sausage for breakfast along with a glass of orange juice to feel virtuous.

"Ok, I'm going to update you now because I want you to enjoy the spa later," Bec said, steeling herself. "I don't know what's going on with those guys, but they're acting like they're the cool kids and you're the outcast and it's not fair that you could be blindsided by things." Ella raised her eyebrows and put down her coffee, so Bec knew she had her attention. "So after you went to bed, I was still a little revved up and went downstairs to the casino. I won about fifty dollars more than I lost, so yay me, and also, breakfast's on me." Ella grinned. "When I went upstairs, I held the elevator when somebody shouted. It was those three. First of all, they did get tattoos. They're all the same one, Captain America's shield with a gold record in the middle of the star, all on the back of the hip. I saw them, and the tattooist they went to wasn't very good, the lines were blurring already. Didn't Ned say that that happens when the needle goes past the skin into the muscles and tendons below? So they look pretty crappy, frankly. Second, they think you're being a stick in the mud, they're not counting that you're sick. Third...Bucky and Nat are an official couple now. Boyfriend/girlfriend. Fourth, they were using cocaine last night."

"Ok, well, I can't be too upset about recreational drug use," Ella said, toying with the coffee cup. "I used bumps of coke to get through the last couple concerts. I wouldn't have made it without it. I guess now that other people know about Bucky and Nat, they won't have to sneak around anymore." She sighed. "Which is going to suck for me. That was fast. But that's my problem. Since they're being shits to me, I'm not even going to be sorry for them that their tattoos aren't good." She touched her bandage. "Still looks awesome, I thought I'd leave it covered for the spa. Thanks for going with me last night, Bec. I know you had options."

"Well, I wasn't going to tell you but I think you should know. Bucky and Nat have been screwing since the end of your first tour."  Ella looked dismayed and she sat very still. "Nat's a bad friend, El. If I were you, I'd watch my back or you're going to have more knives in you than Caesar. Bucky asked me if I could take her with me to the spa but I said I was already going with you. He pushed it, though, telling me he wanted his sister and his girlfriend to spend more time together." She snorted. "I already left a message at his room that there were no available appointments during our slot. Not that I would have booked one for her, for the record, I never intended to. I don't want to get to know her any more than I already do." After a few moments, Ella picked up the pepper shaker and vigorously dusted her eggs.

"Well, there's not much that can be done now. Nobody'll listen to me. So I'm just going to hang in there for the rest of the tour. Hopefully when we're off the road and we've got some space from each other and real rest we can have some conversations. I've been planning to tell Steve during the tour break when we go home to New York that I'm going to move out after the tour. Give him some time to adjust, we need to discuss what happens to the house, both of our names are on the deed." Becca's mouth fell open. "Now I kinda need to move out after the tour is over. I really don't want to see Nat all the time."