It Started With A Whisper.

Chapter Five -- Come Along

"Elle...Elle...wake up."

"Huh?" I mumbled as I woke up on the chest of my best guy friend.

"Ellie, bae. It's already three. I gotta go."

"No you don't, you can crash in the guest bed tonight. It's not like we've got school, we're on break til next Tuesday."

"Yeah, but it's Friday night-slash-Saturday morning, and mom'll be expecting breakfast, ya know."

"Yeah, yeah. Well," I say as we both get off the couch and walk towards the door. "drive safe, alright?"

"Yeah. Alright." I give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek, then wave at him as he walks to his car.

Just as I sit back on the couch, I hear a knock on the door.

"Did you for--" Before I could even finish my sentence, Drew had grabbed my arm and kissed me. He pulled back, as if expecting me to respond. But I couldn't quite, so I just kissed him again. And we just kissed.

And kissed.

And kissed...

***

"So have you talked to Charlie lately?" Taylor asked as we turned in our Latin work.

"Not since Starbucks." I said as Mrs. Adrian smiled at me and said

"Miss Lebeou Ah, quam tuus est auctor?"

"Mirabilia. Et tua?" I replied

"Fantastica."

I walked back to my desk and opened my book to page three hundred ninety-four to start the assignment. I had just written down number one when Tay came over and said,

"Since Starbucks? But that was last Thursday! It's been an entire week!"

"Ten days, nine since the whole Drew thing."

"Yeah! About that, so what exactly happened?"

"I told you, he kissed me, I kissed back. We kissed for a while and then-"

"And then he 'slept' at your place." She interrupted, putting air quotes around the word slept.

"Yeah. Slept. As in, went to sleep. And by the time I woke up-"

"He was gone." She interrupted again.

"He had gone home. And he left me a coffee."

"Aww, so sweet! So you guys are like, together now, right?"

"Wrong. It was a one time thing."

"Uh huh. Your voice says one time but your eyes say otherwise." She said in a sing-song tone.

"Whatever Tay. Just do the work."

"Okay. But this so isn't over."

"Whatever." 

***

"Hey Elle."

"Hey Drew" I said as he kissed me on the cheek and sat down at the lunch table.

"Ahem." Tay said as she sat down on the other side of me "I thought it was a one time thing."

"Tay. Drew kisses us on the cheeks all the time. Us. As in, you and me both." I tell her

"Yeah yeah, whatever lovebirds."

"Whatever girl." I laughed a bit. "Well," I got up. "This is barely edible and you both know I don't eat meat, fake school meat or otherwise, so I'm gonna go off-campus for lunch. Y'all coming?"

"Nah," Tay said "I'm gonna sit with the squad today. Be a 'proper' cheerleader."

"Alright. Drew?"

"Yeah sure, I'll come along."

"Let's go."

***

"You want anything Drew?" I asked as we pulled into the driveway of Starbucks

"Nah, I'm just gonna turn up the radio and smoke a Black."

"Alright, I'll be back."

I walked into the shoppe and ordered my usual, then I sat at the island, listening to the sounds of the cafe around me. The steaming kitchen, the chattering, the squeak of chairs, the-

"Hey Elle." I turned around to see Dylan Ferris, the most popular boy in school. Styled brown hair, deep hazel eyes, pearly white smile. Everything every girl in school wants. Every girl but me.

"Hello Dylan." I said, looking away from him, and trying to return to my thoughts.

"Please Elle, don't call me Dlyan."

"Well that's your name, what do you want me to call you?"

"Call me Charlie." He said.

For a moment, I just stared, until the waitress said "Order thirteen. One caramel mocha with whip and one double shot frappe." I thanked her, grabbed my coffees, and left.

"Elle? Are you alright?" Drew asked, as he blew out a puff of smoke. I stood there and admired my best friend for a moment. Coffee and cigarettes by Never Shout Never was playing in the background. It was the perfect song for the perfect moment.  "Elle?" I faintly heard my name in my trance,

"Elle. Elle, are you alright?"

"Oh, oh yes. I got you a double shot frappe. Just the way you like it."

"Sweet, thanks Elle. You ready?"

I looked back at the cafe, Dylan was at the door, he smiled and winked at me. "Yeah." I say "Yeah, let's go."

I get in the passengers seat and stare off into space as Christofer Drew sang...

And they have parties, and I'm so awkward. So whatta ya say, just as friends, we see a movie This weekend, alright? Okay. "