Mr. Write [COMPLETED]

Chapter 2 - "I want to shoot my left knee cap."

"Why does it have to be him?" Elliot said, pacing the living room. "Anyone else, and I would be through the roof! Literally, we would have to call repair men, because we would have a 'me' shaped hole in our ceiling." *

Elliot groaned and tossed her head back.

"Seriously," she said. "Why couldn't the cover page say Jake Summers or Michael Jordan, instead of Beck freaking Daniels."

"You know I heard Michael Jordan is an excellent writer," Cece said. "Hidden talent and all. Apparently it was his fall back plan, if the whole being a famous basketball player thing didn't work out."

Elliot flopped into an arm chair, her arms dangling over the sides.

"Why did I agree do this stupid co-writing thing in the first place, Cece?"

"It was your idea."

Elliot flailed her arms around.

"I know that," Elliot said.

She stood and started pacing again.

"But why did I think it was a good idea? I don't like college students in general." Elliot waved her hand about. "I constantly feel inferior to them, because I've only been to high school and they know things."

"Opposed to you, who doesn't know things?" Cece asked.

Elliot stopped walking and looked at Cece.

"Cece, I'm ranting here, can't you let me do that without questioning my irrational logic?"

Cece raised her hands in surrender and sank back into the couch. Elliot started pacing again.

"And he's not just some college student. He's a college student that writes amazingly! How can I compete with that!" Elliot said, tossing her hands up.

"Aren't you co-writing?"

"Ranting Cece, ranting. Logic and reason have left this conversation ages ago," Elliot said.

Cece nodded as she pulled out a piece of writing and started reading.

"What really pisses me off is the fact that he knew that he was the right person for the job! Gaaaa!" Elliot said. "Coming in with that smug, self confident air, knowing he was the one. I should have punched him in the face. I should have stolen that stupid bow tie and choked him with it. I should have..."

"Don't hire him."

The words froze Elliot mid-step. She slowly looked to Cece, who was still reading the page in front of her.

"What did you say?" Elliot asked.

"Don't hire him," Cece said, without looking up.

Elliot stared blankly at Cece, her mouth opening and closing. Cece looked at her over the top of the paper. With a sigh, she tossed it aside and leaned forward.

"Look El, if he really bothers you that much, then don't hire him. Hire some other guy. Hire that Jake Summers dude, he sounds all warm and seasonal and stuff."

"But..."

"But nothing, it's your choice."

Elliot's shoulders relaxed and she fell into the arm chair, scowling at nothing. A moment of silence passed.

"I could simply not hire him," Elliot said, her face softening, her tone lightening. "Simple as that. Not hire him."

"Uh huh, simple as that."

The room filled with a weighted silence.

"Except it's not as easy as that," Cece said.

Elliot groaned and covered her face in her hands.