Elle spent so much time admiring the beautiful patterns that graced the sky in the presence of the sun, and yet she didn't get that opportunity now as the sun started to set. Not when all her eyes could look at is right in front of her in bed sleeping. It was beyond her as to how fast a few conversations and laughs could make a day fly as fast as this one did, but she knew that it was because she was with him, and everything always either went so slow that it gave you the opportunity to take every little detail in down to the glimmer in his eyes, or extraordinarily fast that you feel lightheaded at the dream that has been given the time to manifest itself into a physical body.
Either way, she knew that her life has taken a turn to the right side ever since she saw him that one day int the circle. It was ironic that the thing that brought them together was the thing that they now tried to avoid at all costs, preferring snuggling next to each other rather than thank that psychopathic excuse of a councilor that was the reason of this wonderland she found herself in.
She snuggled her face deeper in his chest as her finger traced incoherent patterns on his white shirt as his breathing came in steady beats with his arm pulling her next to him like she was the only thing that mattered. She would have left him alone in his room to rest while she looked around this house that she still couldn't believe was in his possession alone, but Jack insisted that he wouldn't be able to sleep a blink if she wasn't in his arms. It has been an hour, and the only thing that gave off a sound in this quiet room except for his recovery was the air conditioner that gave off a silent buzz as it filled the room with a chill that tempted to bring her along to sleep. It was a deceiving pull that almost won her over had it not been for Elle remembering that his mother trusted her to keep Jack monitored.
Before her eyes could blink one more time, she gently pried his muscular arm off of her and snuck out of the bed as silently as she could with the intentions of minimal movement that could disturb him before she opened the door and snuck out of his room but not without one last admiring glance at him.
She rubbed her warmed palms up and down her arms as she silently walked down the stairs. The long sleeves of her shirt were pointless against the temperature that Jack needed to fall asleep. Her eyes glanced through the many windows that allowed her to see the outside, and true enough, the sun was already setting as the sky reflected an orange hue. Elle made her way into his impressive kitchen that looked like it was meant for the culinary masterpieces from the hands of the finest chefs in the world, but all of it was far Jack, who could only go as far as microwaveable dinners and bowls of cereal. Thankfully, his mother chooses to eat with him as a form of bonding.
She made her way towards a specific cabinet that had a sticky note stuck onto it. Elle picked it up and scanned it to see that it was a list of things she should give Jack that always made him feel better when he was sick, according to Helen's perfect cursive. And out of all the meals, Elle opted for the classic that was known for keeping pesky colds away: chicken noodle soup.
Elle was still a bit confused as to why a man who couldn't cook needed such specific pots and pans in all sizes of they were just going to be hidden in the cabinets. She got a massive pot and started boiling the water before getting some vegetables from his fully stocked refrigerator and chopping them into cubes and throwing them in the boiling water.
It took about thirty minutes for it to finish before she could scoop some up in two massive bowl. She got a glass from the cabinet and filled it with some lemon water, thinking that the lemon would really do him some good, before putting everything on a wooden tray along with some utensils and heading upstairs. She noticed that the door was slightly opened, and the cold air from the room surrounded the floor like invisible layers of mist, but it just made getting her and the tray in a way easier job.
Elle poked her head through the door, as she tends to do, and notices that Jack was very much awake as he leaned his back on the headboard and was watching some football on his massive flatscreen. It was weird to see him like this. It was weird to see the cryptic and indecisive Jack Kingston acting like an average teenage boy. He always aimed to be unapproachable as if it was a safety blanket for him. A defense mechanism for a storm that hasn't happened to him yet. He almost shoved her out of his life had it not been for his drastic and inexplainable change of heart that made him welcome her with open arms.
Elle finally caught his attention as she went through the door and made her way to his side. "Hey how are you feeling?" She asked him in the gentleness that her voice often had whenever it was him she was talking to. She sat next to him on his bed and scooped the warm bowl of soup from the tray that she had set on his bedside table and gave it to him before handing him his soup spoon. "Your mom actually left recipes for like five of your all time favorite things to eat when you're sick." She laughed appreciatively at how much his mother cared for him as her eyes were locked on him as his face lit up when he brought it up to his nose and smelled it. "It smells great, Elle."
Soon enough, Elle got her bowl and started eating as they sat next to each other enjoying the company, even if the conversations were replaced with the commentator. "I'm actually feeling a lot better, to answer your first question. It's either I really just needed to sleep or its mom's recipe, but I'm pretty sure that it's because you're here. My body's probably reacting to how glad I am that you're here." It was the first conversation they had in the silence that surrounded them just minutes after the both of them finished eating. And she hated the feeling, but Jack once again caught her off guard with his epic words that always managed to tug on her heartstrings that made every fiber in her body strum with glee.
"You're staying for the night, right?" He asked her, since she was incapable of forming any words at the moment because of the smile that consumed all of her voice and instead, projected everything she needed to say through it. But now that she recovered herself, she hasn't really thought about the possibility that he would ask her this question. It crossed once or twice, but those flowed through the unconscious parts of her that she often ignored. "I'd love to, but I didn't pack any extra clothes." Elle shrugged like it was no big deal, but she was internally reprimanding herself that she didn't prepare anything at all.
"No worries, little Elle. My mom knows me well enough to know that the degree of my affections towards you would result into me asking you to stay over, so she got you somethings." Elle just rolled her eyes before looking at him playfully. "Why is it that you always have my fashion emergencies solved?" She spat out, and Jack just gave her an innocent Boy Scout smile.
He pointed her towards his closet, and she saw bags. She took the one with the pajamas in the bathroom so that she could change. It was just a simple sweater and some bottoms, but Elle really did appreciate Helen for going through all this trouble for her. It was gratifying to know that she trusted the both of them not to do anything regrettable that she gave them indirect permission to sleep on the same bed together. Elle promised herself that she would bake some cookies for her someday to show her a fraction of how thankful she was.
"Well, at least I know that you're feeling well." Elle commented as she stepped out of his bathroom, finally noticing that he was back to his old arrogant but lovable self. Jack opened his arms towards her, and Elle smiled at her need to run into them and never let go, but she instead walked towards his bed in a slow yet jittery pace before getting under the blanket once again and snuggling into him like she had never left. Elle felt Jack land a kiss on top of her head, and she was out like a flame.
YOU ARE READING
Lost Stars
Teen Fictionin which two nihilistic teens find the meaning of life when their hands entwine. current cover :: @parthenons [summary inside]
