A Few Pictures With You

Ch.9: So close

It's the end of the second to last week of August already. Which means there's one week left. So far, i've gotten so close to Elliot than I ever have realistically planned to. But the more he hates me, the closer he gets. It's confusing, but I think I like it.

I have the rest of this month to make it count, I'm going all in. No more being afraid to chickening out of a dare. Everyone is out of the game already. I can do whatever!

So in that case, the next dare on the list is to.. sneak into someone we went to school with's house and sleep over without their knowledge? In parentheses it says '(No close friends, and take a photo selfie of you with the person sleeping)'. Great. I struggle to think of a person we went to school with who won't freak out enough to call the cops on me. And then, it hits me. Elliot hates me but wouldn't go that far. Looks like i'm planning to spend the night in Elliot's room.

I don't have keys to Ella's house but there is a secret way in through her room that I would sneak into in sophomore year to hang with Ella when she got grounded, and where she snuck boys in. The only issues are, I have to make sure Ella isn't home when I do so and she hasn't answered my texts or calls in a while. I guess i'm on my own once again.

11Pm

I'm heading down Ella's street now, for once I feel a mix of fear and excitement, I want to throw up. I'm only scared for Ella to find out that I'm sneaking into her brothers room, even if it's just for the dare. Even if we get close, he's always been off limits, even without the words said to me. It's for the sake of Ella and I's friendship.

I arrive at the house, the cars are in the drive way, but Ella's window to the very left of the house doesn't have a light on. She's either sleeping which is highly unlikely at this hour or not home. I question if I'm here too early. I decide to park at the neighbors house so it's not obvious if they see my car.

I walk up to the front door first, try to not look so sneaky when looking into the window, I'm surprised to see Ella on the couch, knocked out with a bowl of popcorn in her lap. Nice. I'm also lucky enough that Ella's room is on the first floor, so I make my way towards the side of the house, and check the loose window. For some odd reason, the window being unlocked sends my whole body into shock, am I actually doing this? I open the window quietly, lift myself up and ever so slowly lunge myself over the window, onto her floor. Before getting up, I wait to hear if anyone heard me. I'm good. Now I have to find my way to Elliot's room without waking anyone.

The TV volume is up enough to drown out my careful footsteps, but going to Elliot's room is going to be difficult. His room is across the hall, in the basement. I get to the door to open it, with the feeling that it's going to be locked, but I'm wrong. It's open? I quickly open it enough so squeeze my way inside and close the door quietly. I don't want to wake him or scare him, I'm actually uncertain of what he will do or say.

I walk down the stairs with my feet apart so there's no creaking. Once i get to the point of the stairs where I can see his room, I see him in bed, asleep? A guy like him i'd never thought seeing him be in bed so early, especially during summer. I'm so focused on getting close to him so i can take a photo, I'm afraid the flash on the camera will wake him.

He has some small lights in his room on, almost as if they're candles around his room, his laptop opened to amazon looking to buy a professional camera. Odd. But I find my way to the empty side of his bed to position myself for the selfie. I carefully sit and lean towards his face, put the camera out in front of our faces, my fingers are crossed in my empty hand. I take the photo. My eyes are squinting afterwards along with my teeth hoping he won't wake. He's really knocked out and i'm relieved.

I can't help but stare at him. I'm so mesmerized. How can someone so horrible be so beautiful? Is it a waste of a pretty face? I forget my mission of taking a photo and getting out of there, because there's no way i'll be able to sleep here. Because the next thing i do is absolutely risking it.

I get into bed, putting his covers over me, getting so close to his face that our noses almost touch. I pretend that we're forced to sleep next to each other but he wants me dead, but in reality that's probably true. I get too comfortable too quickly, I close my eyes. For about 5 minutes, i feel myself dozing off, but i'm too tired to even tell myself to get up. Falling into a sleep but conscious enough to wake up, I feel a hand move up my chest, around my throat. Shit. I open my eyes and move my head slightly to look up. Elliot hovering over me from his side of the bed, his hand around my neck. His grip tightened. He's starting to choke me.

"Did I ever invite you in my room, let alone my bed? How did you get in here?" He says in his deep, angry but quiet enough to fear his next move voice. His messy blonde hair almost poking his eyes but he stays staring into mine. My next move was all I could think of. Ignoring his hand around my neck only getting stronger, I use my one arm on the back of his neck to push his face into mine and the other arm to push me up from the bed. I kiss him. Already losing my breathe, I still am kissing him. I start gasping for air because his finger nails start digging into my neck as I feel him pull me closer. He lets go.

I start breathing fast and heavy trying to catch my breathe. I start coughing, covering my mouth so I make sure to be quiet. Once catching my breathe, he puts his hand over my mouth, we hear that it's dead silence upstairs, and then Ella's voice. "Elliot?"

He looks at me with fear in his eyes, I haven't seen him in this state before. "Under the bed. Go." He quickly grabs his laptop once I slide under his bed. The basement/bedroom door opens.

"Did I hear a girl's voice or coughing coming from your room?" Ella says and she makes it down the stairs enough to see his room. I can tell because her voice seems closer than it was when she said his name.

"Sorry, I'm watching a movie, just turned down the volume now" Elliot said almost too quickly. There's a pause of silence.

"Well i'm heading to bed, good night." She heads back upstairs, Elliot doesn't answer her. A few seconds go by until we hear her bedroom door close. What is going to happen with us now?