Winner at a losing game

Chapter Three

         Darlin' You Give Love a Bad Name

A ring from her cell  cut through their laughter like glass breaking. " Were you expecting anyone to call?" Lou said knowingly.  Her coppery hair ran down to shoulder blades in waves as she ran her fingers through untangling it. It was a nervous tick of hers, Though she had just dyed it ebony, since it brought out her facial features more giving it a more defined look. You see both girls were having relationship issues with their boyfriend's tired of the angst and sorrow both had been put through the girls planned this very evening to release the pressure of the world. Ell was debating on whether or not they should  dye her hair that evening. Ell had dark brown, brown sugar hair with natural highlights that flowed seamlessly to the curve of her breasts. However; the girls whole focus that night was change.  So she wanted to color her hair a bright color that would stand out. It was Summer they had adventure on the rise, the end of a year just wrapped up and they wanted to take advantage of that give themselves a new fresh start a beginning to the summer of their lives, so why not add a new hair color to the mix. New season,  new color ,  new look , that's what the two girls went by anyways. At least they hoped this summer would be different than past summers.

" Progress is not achieved by luck or accident , but by working on yourself daily." ~~Epictetus

     "No. I wasn't." She sighed (" Here we go again she thought.")

    " Can't the guys leave us alone for one friggin night !" Lou exclaimed.
Obviously they can't the girls shook their heads and laughed dryly.  The two girls looked at each other but, Ell's eye's never met her own gaze .
Lou, had noticed a slight hitch in her friend's demeanor , ( since when wouldn't her friend meet her gaze, avert her eyes and stare solemnly off into space?) Lou knew in that moment something was wrong.
Just then the phone rang again Ring...ring ....ring.
" Is that Trevor ?" Lou said softly.
"It's the only person it can be. The only one who has my number is you, my mom and Trevor." When he got me the phone it came with strings attached ....her voice drifted.
Ring....ring ... ring.
" I should probably answer he'll wonder what's up if I don't." Ell said solemnly.
" I really don't think you should, I've got a bad feeling about this, man." Concern seeped through her voice. " You told him you needed time and some space to clear your head. If he doesn't respect your boundaries , then he doesn't deserve you."
" I know you're absolutely right and while we're on the subject matter , same goes for Keith, I've never seen you doubt yourself with anyone before but it's like it's a daily thing for you now."
" I know man, but I love him."
"Is that really love though, Lou?"
" I guess you're right neither of us really know what love is, we're both too young."
" Maybe, maybe one day we will, I hope we will."
Ring....ring..ring ....
" I'm just going to shut off my phone, we have this whole evening planned and no guys are going to ruin it!" Ell exclaimed.' "Let's finish our show," Lou said reassuringly."
Before Ell could do just that, the phone rang for the fifth time.
"Persistent much," her friend Lou  scoffed, said quietly under her breath. " I know,  it's hard Ell you deserve far better than him. You really do." l know something is up I can tell, whatever is wrong you can tell me , whatever it is man. I'm here, talk to me. please."
Ell took a sharp breath in a quiet but strong voice said, " Lou.. I .. I know, I really just don't know how to begin to even  tell you."
" You can tell me anything, A.N.Y.T.H.I.N.G at all she enunciated the words . Always hun, There's nothing you can say that would ever change that."
"That's what I'm afraid of, change." Ell said just above a whisper.
"I promise, no matter what you say, I'm not going anywhere hun, I'm here to stay.' Please just tell me what's eating at you."
The phone rang again, Ell jumped this time, startled. That's when Lou knew it was something more than her friend's relationship doubts she was fretting over.
Ring... ring...ring... resonated across the room.
"Okay spill, something's up Ell, I know it is the smile you had on your face thirty minutes ago,  faltered each time the friggin phone rang. It looks as though it were slapped off your face."
The moment she said those words she wished she could take them back.
"Instinctively, Ell hesitantly reached a hand up to her face as if in fact she were covering  up a bruise."
The phone rang again, Ell jumped yet again. By this time Lou had it, she was going to speak her mind. So she grabbed the phone hit answer and harshly spoke.
" Look here buddy, and listen up. Listen real good too. She doesn't want to talk to you m, she's made it clear she needs "Time" and she needs "Space." Just let her have it. Thanks for interrupting girls night too man, real classy,  jerk."
Silence surged across the line, for a good minute or two, Lou almost hung up.
"Tough girl huh, okay two can play this game, "How about you "Listen up, shut up and hand the goddamn phone to "MY" girlfriend. Trevor barked back.
"Ha, girlfriend? As if you know the meaning of that word, Is that how you treat all the women in her life or just her ?!" " You expect her to just lie down and take it be a "good girl,"answer every beck and call, Be your liege ? Muffled sobs rang off to her side for a moment the two Lou, and Trevor forgot she was in the room during the heated conversation. Luckily the sobs were only audible to Lou.
Lou held the phone away from her ear instinctively in that moment . Lou covered the phone's speaker and and cussed.
" Damn, that's it isn't it, that's what I'm missing here.  "Oh man, Ell, if I had known ...God Ell no wonder you were afraid to speak up." "How....how long her voice was soft and soothing but Ell could hear the subtle hint of pain in her voice." To someone in her circumstance it was deafening. So Ell excused herself to the bathroom.
" Hello, Ell are you there?"
"Dammit woman talk to me. I know you are.  I can hear you breathing!"
" It's not Ell , you piece of shit! look she doesn't want to talk to you and I have nothing to say but stay away, you hear me, stay away from her or I'll call the cops myself!"
Lou hung up , ran to the bathroom knocked softly on the door and said ,"Are you alright hun?"
Before Ell knew it,  Lou twisted the door knob opened the door and that's when she saw it, a distinctive mark on her friend's neck , It wasn't a hickey either. Yet a ligature mark around her neck,  covered up by concealer and foundation  that she must've expertly applied. Horrified Ell said " Please , please don't tell anyone!" "Why, why didn't you tell me ...?" Lou said hurt and concerned for her friend's safety, not only that but her very life.  "Shhhh! I don't want my parents to hear us, let's go back to my room and we can talk about it there okay ?" The girls went back to her room, Ell sat on the bed and Lou looked her directly in the eyes and said," Okay, now talk !"
  " You think I wanted my life, in your hands, my blood on your hands ,' "Dammit Ell you may say your older cause your taller  5'5" and look older by your distinguishing features,
but you are younger than me you don't need this responsibilit . It's not that I don't trust you.... I don't want regret on your mind the rest of your life!" Ell's voice cracked with every word sincerity and honesty poured in every word she spoke and Lou finally understood that her friend had been dealing with this far longer than she let on. " You have to tell someone, Hell Ell, let me take you to the police station tomorrow and write up a report talk to a police officer something ?!
" So they can do what...exactly,  Call me a liar, a whore, someone begging for attention ?! No. No. No . Not gonna happen, Lou, there's always repercussions they'll just bust me for drinking myself to numbness. It's breaking the law and that's what they'll see not that it it was my way out  That it disgusted him and the only time he smelt  I had the stench of poison on my breath , A hand wasn't laid on me!  I'm tired of believing someone will actually care ....her voice trailed off and Lou realized this isn't the first time something was swept under the rug and left to forget about, move on with her life like nothing had happened at all. Ell's words were sharp and stung like cold steel. " I love you, "I" care.   ...Lou mustered , I can't believe you've suffered such grievances." "You're stronger than any woman I have met." " Strong ?...what is strong Lou, I have hidden this away from everyone and anyone I come in contact with, doesn't that make me weak and small?!" "No , no on the contrary honey, It makes you a survivor.' "A warrior who has fought battles and come up on top each and every time."
(" Don't I wish , Ell thought to herself. If only that were the truth.")
" What ...what else has he done? Lou spoke  hesitantly."
  " You don't want to know ."
" I know, it's hard to talk about, but;  you're safe you can tell me."
" You don't get it,  do you? I'm trying to save you from the hurt Lou!"
" Don't you dare shield me from the truth any longer you can't keep holding this back , God only knows how long you've kept this a secret!"
" Lou, seriously, stop. Please , I'm begging you ,leave it alone."
"  No. I don't care , my best friend , my sister, is hurt and struggling through the worst pain in her life. I'm not just going to sit back and watch it happen, Dammit I'm going to do something about it!"
" Lou, she spoke in a dangerously , low , quiet tone, "It's not your place."
Lou let out a sardonic laugh almost hysterical, "Not my place?! " She repeated , "It's not "YOUR" place to suffer like this Ell!"
"  Look, I think we need a breather , your only going to get madder with each passing second." "Can we please , just finish our show ?"
" Fine , but we're not finished talking about this , you need help."
" We have a long day tomorrow, let's just get through these days okay?"
"Ell , I will not , let you put this off .' " We're getting you out, through hell or high water ."
Within that moment Ell wrapped her arms around her best friend, pulled her close and said " How would I ever get through life without you ?"
The two just laughed, smiled for the first time since their heated discussion.
" I'm hungry, are you ?" Ell laughed. " How about we fix our favorite sleepover snack ?" As long as you have butter and season salt I'm down! The two made it down to the kitchen grabbed a bag of popcorn from the pantry, threw it in the microwave, got out a bowl, butter and season salt waited anxiously for their snack to finish cooking and finished the final touches. They carried the bowl upstairs , resumed the movie and fell asleep with the popcorn laying beside them.

The next day approached quickly. At first light Ell's phone rang. She silently cursed hoping the noise wouldn't wake her friend. Lou stirred and rolled over on her side, but was still fast asleep.  Last night was like an old fashioned soap opera or a telenovela. It was exhausting and mentally disabling, Of course she wanted the truth to come out. "But at what cost?" Certainly not her friend's life. So she did the only thing she thought she could. She gave in.... She surrendered to his demands. "It was only a phone call, what harm could one phone call do?" Oh man,  How she wished she could take that idiocy back.

   Bertrand Russell wrote ; " The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in a modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt."

Yann Martel , Life of Pi wrote ;( "I must say a word about fear . It is life's only true opponent . Only fear can defeat life. It is a clever, treacherous adversary, how well I know. It has no decency , respects no law or convention, shows no mercy . It goes for your weakest spot, which it finds with unerring ease. It begins in your mind , always . One moment you are feeling calm , self possessed,  happy. Then fear ,disguised in the garb of mild mannered doubt, slips into your mind like a spy.")