Band of Brothers || To Hell And Back

Chapter Five: Punishment

When Elle woke up the next morning, she noticed that she had actually fallen asleep on the floor. Sleeping on a hard floor was not a very comfortable experience, Elle came to notice, when every single muscle in her body was hurting. With a huge effort, Elle stood up and stretched her petrified limbs.

"I thought about waking you up last evening but I couldn't bring myself to do that", Nixon said grinning and Elle glanced him rather angrily. She sort of hoped that Nixon would have waken her up. When thinking about last night, Elle remembered the conversation she had had with Nixon. She hoped Nixon would never bring up the fact that they were from the same city.

At the breakfast, Elle studied Nixon quietly. Now, after a well slept night, she was able to think a little better and she knew she should have realized Nixon was from New York as well. They were alike in so many ways, they even talked in the same way. but Elle had always thought it was only because they were both from filthy rich families. If Nixon ever wanted to talk about New York, Elle would be screwed. She had lived there most of her life and yet, only place she really knew was her father's house in Hyde Park. How on earth she was supposed to explain to Nixon that she knew pretty much nothing about New York?

***

"Where's Dick? I swear, that man has an ability to disappear", Elle complained to Nixon when they were heading to the mess hall. Usually the three of them ate together but sometimes Dick was nowhere to be found, like right now.

"He's so busy he'd deserve a raise or something", Nixon answered conforming Elle.

"I could use a raise, too", Elle said being half-serious. When she had run away, she had not had any money with her. She had come to notice the value of money and she had realized she was completely broke.

"Really?" Nixon asked looking suspicious and Elle shrugged. 

 "Well, there's not really anything to use your money here so I guess I'll be just fine", she said lightly and continued walking but Nixon grabbed her wrist and stopped her.

"Doesn't your family give you money?" he asked and Elle felt confused, not being sure what Nixon meant.

"Why?" she asked in a rather stupid way. She could not come up with anything else to say.

"If you're lacking money, don't your parents simply give you more?"

"They need the money more than I do", she said and continued walking decisively to the mess hall hoping Nixon would understand the hint to end the conversation.

"Why are you lying to me, Ed? Come on, I know you're rich."

"How do you know that?" Elle questioned even though she understood she had made a mistake. Of course Nixon knew she was rich, like Elle had known Nixon was rich the second they had met each others.

 "Come on. The same way you know that I'm rich", he answered and Elle glared him. She would have to make up something now to remove Nixon's suspicions. 

"Look", Elle said biting her lip. She hated lying to her friends so much.

"My parents didn't really approve this whole paratrooper thing", she muttered. Before making any friends lying had been so easy but now, it was awful. Elle could not help but think how much Nixon and Dick both would hate her if they ever found out her secrets. Even worse, they most certainly would eventually find out her secrets. Elle had never expected to be able to keep her identity hidden forever.

"So they left you on your own", Nixon said and Elle nodded. Apparently Nixon felt bad about thinking how Elle's parents had presumably left her on her own and dropped the subject.