Ellianna
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When Shane dropped me off at home the sun had already gone down. My mom was waiting for me in the kitchen, not at all happy. "Where have you been?" She asked me her arms folded over her chest. I wrinkled my face in confusion a bit. "Mom I texted you, I was at tutoring after school." I told her.
Of course I omitted the details that I was being tutorted by Northviews new superstar, genius, quarterback. Which i knew my overprotective mother would be against. Hell if she knew I was being tutored by a boy she would flip.
Ever since the night in 8th grade my mother and I's relationship has been strained, she blamed me for the demise of her relationship I was the one who ruined it with my 13 year old promiscuity. But at the same time I think she felt guilty her little girl had gotten hurt that night and now she felt like she had to protect me, or in my opinon overprotect me and keep me away from what hurt me Male figures.
"Oh, thats all?" She asked me. I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. "Yeah thats it, you dont want me failing chemistry do you?" I asked her. She let out a frustrated huff. "No I dont." She said, "okay well I have more schoolwork." I lied to her before going upstairs to my bed room. I threw my school stuff on the floor and flopped on my bed to check my phone. I fully expected a text from Miranda but instead was greeted by a text from Colin.
'Can we talk' it read. I huffed and thought about it. I knew this had everything to do with him and Shane fighting. I'm sure he just wanted to tell me to stay out of his shit and stop talking to my new friend. I started to type out a message denying his request.
But then I thought back to the conversation Shane and I had after school, what if Colin truly wanted to put this behind us? It would be incredible to finally have cloysre on the shittiest chapter of my life. So I deleted my previous I sent words and instead typed, 'sure, meet in the treehouse, hop over your fence' then I shoved my phone in my jeans pocket and headed over my little bridge to the tree house, where I sat down on the wooden floor awaiting my former friend.
Colin made his way up to the tree house and sat down across from me on the wooden planks, he looked down at the boards and traced the knots in the floor. the sunset surounded us and Colin began to talk, lifting his green eyes to meet mine.
"Im glad you havent gotten rid of the tree house, i always really liked hanging out here." He said not yet adressing the elephant in the room, he was nervous i could tell, or maybe it was just because we hadnt actually talked since 8th grade, and even though it had only been about a year and a half, your change alot from 13 to 15.
"Yeah, I still like to hang out up here, you know study and read." I said quietly, Im not really a quiet person but this situation was uncomfortable, we both knew why we were sitting up here, and the more akward scilence that consumed us the more I wanted to walk away and leave.
"Anyway, I um, I wanted to apologize to you for you know, what happened in 8th grade. It wasnt cool of me and I know you were going through alot back then and, um, I made it worse. So im sorry." Colin brushed his brown curly hair away from his eyes. I was skeptical of his apology, since I knew Shane confronted him, I feared his apology was only to patch up their relationship not because he felt bad about what he did to me.
"Shane told me you guys got in a fight, he tutored me after school, I saw that you hit him. I hope your not just apologizing because he told you too." and I had a feeling that Shane did tell Colin to apologize, I can't see another reason to get in a fight with your best friend.
"I'm not gonna lie he did tell me to apologize and borderline tried to black mail me, but I'm not saying sorry just because Shane wanted me too. I thought about it, and I really am Sorry Ellianna."
I could tell he was being sincere, this wasn't some kinda half-ass apology. This was Colin finally feeling bad about what happened 2 years ago.
"Well then I accept your apology." I said giving him a soft smile, it was about time we put this drama between us behind us and moved on with our lives, it was unlikeley Colin Moore and I would ever be friends again but at least we could go back to being friendly neighbors.
"God I was such a dick back then," Colin stated feeling a little too proud about it. "Who says your not still a dick?" I told him giving him a little shove on the shoulder.
"Hey not all of us can be mr. All american like Shane, someones gotta be the ass wipe." Colin laughed. "So you guys are friends I guess now? I mean obviously, he tried to beat me up in the locker room because I wouldnt tell you i was sorry." I shifted in my seat.
"Yeah were friends, he tutors me in chem, because im hopeless and awful at chem." I admitted although Colin already knew that.
"At least you can fucking read, unlike me." Colin said sarcastically. I sighed. "Colin, you can read, your dyslexia just makes it harder." I told him, just like i used to tell him in middle school before our dalling out.
"Speaking of reading i still have english Homework, I better go." Colin said standing up to leave.
"Before you leave Colin, why did you do it?" I asked him, he looked at me confused. "Do what? Have dyslexia?" I rolled my eyes.
"No, why did you lie to the kids at school about what happened?" Colin stared at the ground and then met my blue eyes with his green.
"It was for one easier, and two I was scared to lose the respect of all of my football buddies, so i went along with what they were saying, instead of standing up for you. Which is what I shouldve done. I lost a good friend that day. And Elli im really sorry." I smiled at him, colin looked at me confused.
"Why are you laughing, you asked me the truth." I shook my head, "no im not laughing at that, you called me Elli." Elli, the shortened version of my name, Shane had granted me was now being used by another person. I had once hated the abceriation but now it just made sense.
"Oh shit, I guess Shanes been saying it so much it grew on to me." I always used to hste nicknames, my mom enstilled in me from a young age she named me Ellianna for a reason and that was the only name I should be called. But I liked being called Elli, in strange way it felt like an act of rebellion.
"Its grown on me too." I said smiling. "When we were kids you used to hate it when i called you El, I cant belive your okay with being called Elli." I shrugged my shoulders. Theese days alot of things I once despised were now aprehensivly being welcomed, nicknames, chemistry, and Colin Moore. Things were changing, and this time maybe for the better. Life felt like it did before my incident and I hoped it would stay that way.
