Ellie

Chapter 20

"All I want is bacon and muffins and orange juice and scrambled eggs and pancakes and sausage and water," I gave Ethan my order for breakfast. He rolled his eyes and grabbed his keys. 

"I'm not making all that, so I'll be right back." He walked out and I sighed, spinning around my stool at the breakfast bar. 

Ten minutes later, he arrived with McDonald's bags in his hands and an orange juice, a coffee and a water in a drink carton in the other. 

I rolled my eyes, "So classy." 

"You know it!" He spoke through a mouthful of hash brown. 

He dropped the bags on the counter and I hopped off my stool, walking over. I grabbed out pancakes, bacon, sausage and some eggs. I took my orange juice and water then went back to my stool. 

"Wait!" 

He groaned, "What?" 

"What about my muffin?" I pouted. 

Ethan groaned, "You're not getting a muffin today, sis." 

And so, I continued to pout throughout all of breakfast. As I took my first sip of water, the doorbell rang. I announced I'd get it and ran to the door, opening it, "Cartwright residence, how--" I cut myself off as I looked at who was standing in front of me, "What do you want?" 

"Listen, Ellie, I'm so sorry about what happened. Trust me, I had no idea that would happen and please just give me another chance," Ryan pleaded, his eyes looking sincere. 

Too bad I saw right through his shitty facade. 

"Stay the hell away from me and my friends, got it?" Without waiting for a response, I slammed the door in his face and walked back to the kitchen, taking another sip of water. A minute later, the doorbell rang again. 

Shaking my head, I grabbed my water and took the lid off. I threw open the door and dumped the water over the person in front of me, "I told you to stay the hell away!" 

"Damn it, Ellie!" Someone swore. 

My haw dropped at a drenched Keaton, "I'm so sorry!" But I couldn't help it, I started to laugh, "I-I-I thought you were-were R-Ryan!" I told him in between laughs. 

He ripped his shirt off and I couldn't help but notice how incredibly ripped he was. 

"Hilarious," He said sarcastically, "Now where's your brother? I'd like to put some dry clothes on." 

"Kitchen," I told him. He walked in and I shut the door, trailing behind him, admiring his strong back. How could someone be so muscular?

After explaining what had happened, and Ethan laughing at him for five minutes, the two went upstairs to grab him some clothes. 

Sighing, I picked up my phone and called Carter, who picked up on the third ring, "Please telling me you're calling to see if we can do something because I'm bored out of my mind right now!" 

"Well hello to you too," I said, chuckling. 

"Well?" 

I rolled my eyes, even though she couldn't see me, "Yes come over whenever you want."

She peeped, "Ya! Be there in five!" 

With that, the line clicked dead. 

"Who was that?" Ethan asked, walking into the kitchen with a freshly dressed Keaton behind him. 

"Carter," I told him. 

He nodded and Keaton spoke up, "I take it she's coming over then, too?" 

I nodded in response, "Well, I'm gonna go get dressed." 

With that, I walked upstairs and into my room, followed by my bathroom. I brushed my teeth, washed my face then walked into my closet. Stripping out of my clothes, I pulled on a pair of dark skinny jeans and a white sleeveless top that was slightly billowy. I paired it with white pumps then walked back into my bathroom. I brushed my hair and clipped the front back in the middle with two bobby pins. I put on my makeup then walked downstairs just as the front door burst open. 

"Gee, thanks for knocking," I told my best friend sarcastically. 

She shrugged, "What are best friends for? So, where are we going that's got you all fancy?" 

I rolled my eyes, "You're dressed exactly the same. And we're going to the mall." 

"You, going to the mall, willingly?" Her eyes bugged out. 

I laughed at her reaction, "Don't get too excited. Only reason I'm going is because Hot Topic and Spencer's just opened up right next to each other. And I need to find white converse." 

"Why?" She asked, confused. 

"So I don't have to wear heels next time I wear this shirt!" I told her. She laughed and we walked into the garage and climbed into my car. 

Graphic t-shirts and white converse here we come...

"I can't believe, that after he cheated on you and was the reason you crashed your car, he keeps coming back! It's just.. stupid! Like, I'm pretty sure he has a death wish or something, trying to reach you so much," Carter rambled on and on as we were looking through the store. 

That's what had happened. He cheated on me (more than once, might I add) and we broke up. It wasn't clean, it was nasty and involved a whole lot of fighting. Lots of which my friends and brother knew nothing about. 

I sighed, "Yeah well if he comes around one more time I'm gonna need Josh to punch him for me again." 

"Why don't you just punch him?" She asked me, amused. 

I shrugged, "Ladies aren't supposed to punch." 

Carter scoffed, "You punch people all the time." 

I pretended to ponder on that before shrugging. Walking over to the t-shirt bin, I picked up a black shirt that had the middle finger sign on it. Underneath it, it read in white bold letters: Fuck Off. Laughing, I picked out my size. It was a muscle shirt, though it wasn't tight with rips in the back. Checking the price tag, I nodded when I read $7.00 -- Cheap enough, right? 

With a glance at the shirt I had grabbed, Carter smiled and laughed, "Nice." 

"I know," I said with a smirk playing on my face. I went up to the register with my t-shirt in hands. 

"That all, then?" The guy asked. 

I nodded. 

He was probably around 6'1" and had dark brown/black hair. He had an eyebrow piercing and looked fairly tan. 

"That'll be seven forty two," He said, the cash register springing open. I handed him a ten and he gave me back my change. He looked at me and tilted his head, "You're Ellie, right?" 

"Uh, yeah, how'd you know?" I asked. 

He smiled at me, "I was friends with Ryan, I'm Darren." 

"Oh yeah. I remember you now! Well I should probably go, Carter looks like she's about to drag me out by my hair," I told him. 

"Maybe I'll see you sometime," He said. 

I nodded, "Maybe." 

I walked out of the store and walked through the mall with Carter, who had immediately asked, "Who was that?" 

I sighed, "Ryan's friend." 

∞