Abe and Ellie

The Whole Story

I snapped my mirror shut, and dropped it back into my purse.
Checking the clock in my car, I winced at how late it was getting.
8:14 P.M.
Over 15 minutes had passed since I first put my car into park, and yet I still sat here, trying to gather the courage to step out of my car and into the crisp autumn air.
It was one of my closest friend Macs annual bonfire, and most years I was ecstatic. Tonight though, I was just a puddle of nerves.
Abe.
The name echoed through my mind just as it had been doing for the past 3 months.
Abe.
Wasn't it a delightful name? One syllable of pure honey. But it wasn't so much the name, more so what the name stood for.
At 6 feet tall, with a brown mop of delightfully messy curls, green eyes, and a dimple equipped grin, this "Abe" wasn't too shabby on the eyes, and he had every girls head turning the second he walked through the door. Mine included.
Within a week of my first sighting of him, I learned of his appreciation of puns and love of animals through fun and quirky conversations. Conversations that always left me thirsting for more. Seemingly overnight, Abe went from the new guy in our school, to a guy I was even having dreams about.
Unfortunately, 2 1/2 months into my new grown infatuation had him hearing all about how "weirdly obsessed" I was with him. And from my 'best friend' Sabrina Georgette, nonetheless. Ironically, that was the same conversation in which she apparently commented on his "bewitchingly green eyes". (Needless to say, our communication has been rather limited ever since)
All of this occurred two weeks ago, and I'd somehow managed to completely avoid Abe since then. But he had been invited to the bonfire. And had RSVPd almost immediately. Which leads us to right now. Me, sitting in the front seat of my red Ford Focus, reminiscing on the last few months of my life and trying to muster up the boldness to walk into my friends backyard.
With a deep breath of air, I forced myself to swing my car door open. Right into Abe Harper.
Well my evening is starting off with a bang.
I almost just puked right there.
I looked up, mortified.
"I just hit you with my car door." I groaned.
"Mm yes you did. All I wanted to do was check to make sure you were planning on actually coming to the bonfire, and not just sitting in your car all night. But do my efforts get rewarded? No, I get hit with a car door!" He replied, ending it with a chuckle. The irrational part of my brain started sending alerts off about the dimple sighting, and it took every ounce of willpower in my body to keep my mind on the right path.
"I am so sorry! Are you okay? I can't believe I did that. You'd think I didn't have eyes or something!" I exclaimed, choosing to ignore the part that he said about checking up on me. I wasn't to sure what to think of that.
"I... I'm not okay. I think my leg is broken. Both of my legs, actually" he winced, going into dramatics. I started to laugh.
"You're a horrible actor! Not convincing at all! You're reaction time was so delayed!"
"You hit me with your car door! How could you! Now I'll have to finish off my life in a wheel chair! And haven't you heard of going into shock? My brain was able to block the intense pain for the first bit, but now it's all coming rushing in." He continued on with his charade, stumbling around for added effect.
"You said your legs are broken, not that you were paralyzed! Broken legs don't put you into wheelchairs for the rest of your life." I corrected him. But as soon as the words were out of my mouth, he fell to the ground.
"Oh my god. Oh my god. I'm paralyzed and I have two broken legs! Could my night get any worse?" He whined in 'pain'. "I try to go to a nice bonfire with some friends and it leaves me crippled for the rest of my life! Now I won't even be able to get down to any bonfires. I'll never enjoy a s'more again." Abe finished off with a wonderfully fake sob.
"S'MORES! I FORGOT ABOUT S'MORES!" I exclaimed. Finally jumping out of my car, I started running towards the fire. I was so anxious about seeing Abe that I forgot about getting to eat my all time favorite dessert.
"Oh sure! Just leave your crippled friend behind!" I heard a voice call out. I momentarily paused. Abe or S'mores?
"Abe! It's all psychosomatic! All you have to do is believe in yourself and s'mores, and you'll be healed!" I yelled back to him. I watched as he jumped up and started running towards me at top speed.
"I DO BELIEVE IN MYSELF AND S'MORES, I DO I DO." He chanted, sounding much like Peter Pan. He whooshed past me with a gust of wind.
"Now who's leaving who behind!" I complained as he continued running. I thought he was too far ahead to hear me, and so I continued walking. Abe made things so natural. Sabrina had taken it into her hands to make me look as awful in his eyes as humanly possible, but he didn't show that he was repulsed by me at all. He wasn't even awkward about it. I sighed, would I ever be able to move on from him? Or would I be stuck loving a guy that was way out of my league for the rest of my life? Suddenly, my feet weren't on the ground and I was being spun around.
"As if I could leave my s'more buddy behind!" Abe yelled into my ear.
"Put me down!" I squealed, horrified at how pig like I sounded.
"Not until we have safely arrived at the s'more baker!" He said, taking off in a run once again.
"The s'more baker? You mean the fire?" I laughed.
"Well aren't s'mores the only reason to have a bonfire?" He questioned as we reached the fire and he set me safely onto the ground once again.
"Yes, I suppose so." I answered, before being wrapped in a hug by Mac.
"I was beginning to think you weren't going to show, girl!" She exclaimed.
"Not show? You think I would miss the yearly bonfire?? Never on this earth! You know I love s'mores to much for that!" I pointed out.
I grabbed the last two person chair, and motioned for Mac to join me in it, but Abe plopped down next to me before she could react.
"Sorry Mac, but it looks like this seat is already taken!" He shrugged. I stared at him with wide eyes. What was he doing? Why did he sit next to me? Why did he want to sit next to me? Was he going to whisper in my ear about how horrific he thought I was and ask me to never speak with him again? Before my train of thoughts could get any darker, I was interrupted by Abe leaning down to whisper into my ear. I braced myself for the worst.
"I hope you don't mind, but the only other seat available was all of the way across the campfire, and I didn't want to have to yell over people to be able to talk to you. Besides, we can't very well be s'more buddies if we don't make s'mores together, now can we?" I nodded my head mutely in reply, at a loss for words. But who was I to argue if this beautiful guy wanted to sit next to me, and make s'mores with me?
"I'll grab the poker sticks if you grab the graham crackers and chocolate and marshmallows!" I told him.
"Now that hardly seems fair. One item compared to three? But its okay. I'll sacrifice my strength for you. And for the sake of s'mores."
"Believe in yourself and s'mores!" I told him as we both went different directions to grab our supplies.
I snatched two sticks from a plastic storage bin and made my way back to our seat. Once I got there, I saw Abe slowly walking in my direction, making a big show of barely being able to hold onto the food goods.
"Need some help there, buddy?" I asked.
"No no. It's okay. I'll suffer through. I'll be strong." He huffed, pretending to be out of breath.
"Oh how noble of you" I replied sarcastically, with a smile.
"Isn't it though?" He grinned, looking down at me. At this point, the irrational part of my brain was tired of being ignored. So the second we made eye contact, it sent a stampede of butterflies bursting through my stomach. His dimples were lingering, and I couldn't seem to look away.
"So.. S'mores?" I breathed out, trying to stop myself from causing an awkward situation in which he called out my staring at him.
"S'mores!" He exclaimed.
7 s'mores apiece later, and we were both beached on our chair, unable to move.
"Mmrrrgggghjjh" I groaned
"Apparently," Abe started, having difficulties breathing through the marshmallow that was probably clogging up his arteries. "It is possible to have too many s'mores." He finished with a grunt.
"Yes. Apparently." I said, surprised I could actually make coherent sounds come out of my mouth.
A good 15 minutes passed before either of us said a word. I didn't know about him, but I spent the time trying not to barf.
When I finally felt like I could once again move without any serious consequences, I sat up a little straighter and let out a sigh that quickly turned into a long burp.
"Excuse me" I said sheepishly. Abe laughed, and then let a burp twice as long as mine rip.
"Ew! Gross Abe!" I grimaced.
"It was either burp or barf!"
"Are you ready for another s'more now that we've got our burps out?" I joked.
"No! Oh please no. If I even look at another s'more I'm going to lose every single one of my other s'mores. Despite the burping."
"Okay, okay, no more s'mores. I think I'm falling into a sugar coma though" I said, talking through a yawn. Abe chuckled beside me while I snuggled into the chair.
"You cold?" He asked
"A little." I admitted, cursing myself for not bringing a jacket. "The fires really dying down." I sighed, knowing that meant the night would be ending soon.
"Here, you can use mine." Abe replied, shrugging off his brown leather jacket and wrapping it around my shoulders. I smiled at him in thanks, but there wasn't a wide enough smile in the world to portray how happy that one cliché move just made me.
I pushed my arms into the arm holes and shivered in warm delight.
"You're jacket is very soft on the inside." I commented contentedly.
"I'm glad you like it." He smiled at me. "It's pleather, but I love it anyways." He added, running his hand down the arm until he reached my hand. I looked up at him confused. What was he doing? Not another second passed, and his large, warm, hand enveloped my small, cold one. I quickly glanced around to see if anyone had noticed, but everyone seemed to be pretty wrapped up in their own little worlds. I was grateful for that. The warmth from his hand traveled up my arm, and settled comfortably in my chest, making me feel as if I could never be cold again. I reveled in the perfect fit of our hands for several minutes until I started seeing looks getting thrown our way. I tried to pull away, but he just grasped tighter, as if his life depended on holding my hand right now. I glanced up at him, and our eyes locked.
"Please don't let go." He pleaded in a hoarse whisper.
"Okay." I complied. We settled into a comfortable silence, I was just soaking up the feeling of his hand holding my hand in such a soft and gentle way. Nothing had ever made me feel more protected or safe. Or wanted. Which led me to a question. I had heard bits and pieces of the lies Sabrina had fed him, and they were horrific. So why were we sitting here now, hand in hand?
"Abe?" I asked softly
"Hmm?" He had his head leaned back, and his eyes closed.
"I... I've heard what Sabrina told you about me. Or at least parts of it. And I know it wasn't pretty. But all evening you've acted as if nothing happened... I know she told you how I feel about you, however dramatized and over exaggerated she made it. Yet you're still here. Holding my hand, nonetheless." Through my spiel, Abe had sat up straighter, and turned to face me better.
"So you did hear that she did that." He started out with. "I figured you had, by the way you've been avoiding me ever since, but I was really hoping you hadn't. Because I knew it would make you question all of my actions and motives. The truth is though, after our first conversation, the one where we ended up having a pun war, I couldn't get you out of my head. Not that I really wanted to. I was constantly looking for ways to see you, while also trying to hide the feelings that were developing. I figured you wouldn't want anything to do with me, and thought it would just make it awkward if you found out.
When Sabrina cornered me, I fuzzed out as soon as I heard you liked me too. I heard some of her crazy story, but I could tell it was just that: a story. At one point, when she could see she wasn't getting to me, she tried to convince me you had AIDS! As soon as she started hitting on me though, I made my getaway. And by getaway, I mean I cut her off mid-sentence, said 'okay, thanks bye' and walked away. I'm pretty sure her jaw dropped.
I had thought I was thinking about you a lot before then, but after that it was like my brain turned into Ellie-central. I couldn't wait to see you next. But it quickly became apparent that you were avoiding me at all costs. When I got the invitation to this, I was ecstatic. I knew you and Mac were close, so I figured you wouldn't ditch just because of me. I decided that I would show you how I felt tonight, at all costs. I was nervous about stealing Macs spot, but I really couldn't be all the way across the fire from you." When he finished, I was speechless.
"Are you going to say anything, or just leave me hanging?" He joked.
"I... I don't know what to say." I confessed.
"Well, you could start with answering this: will you be my girlfriend?" He asked, catching me off guard. I gaped at him. Be his girlfriend? He wants me to be his girlfriend?
"You're leaving me hanging again!" Abe chuckled. But I think there was hint of nervousness in it. A nervous chuckle. A guy was nervous, because of me.
"Yes! Yes I will be your girlfriend. But only on one condition." I smiled up at him.
"What is it?" He frowned
"You have to be my boyfriend." Abe smiled widely, his dimples coming out in full force.
"I wouldn't dream of it being any other way."

The End