Surf's Up?

The Truth

Ellis' POV

I'd forgiven Hill. At least I thought I had.

I smoothed my dress before walking in. The hallways rang with laughter and the entire house smelled like stale beer and BO. Classic. I made my way into the living room and saw Brian leaning casually against the fire place. My stomach felt weird when I looked at him. He was chatting with several juniors, but when he caught my eye he immediately made his way over.

"You came." He sounded surprised but not altogether unhappy. I nodded.

"Wasn't planning on it, but Hill said that he was here so I figured I should be too."

"You guys made up then?" He asked. Did I detect resentment? I nodded again. He bit his lip. Before I could say anything, his eyes flickered over my shoulder. I turned and my eyes rested on a familiar face. His eyes were wandering the room, and they landed on mine.

We hadn't spoken yet. Brian told me that they got the situation cleared up and that Steele felt like an idiot, but neither of us could even look at each other in school. But now, now my eyes spoke for me. He made his way over, twisting his hands as he came. Brian squeezed my shoulder and gave me a sad but knowing smile. He walked off.

Steele stood and only a foot of air, a wall of air, came between us. His eyes shut and he breathed out of his nose. "El, I don't even know what to say. I overreacted and assumed, and I just feel like an absolute idiot." His eyes opened. They were like the sky after it rains. The greyest of blues you've ever seen. "I'm so sorry." He finished. I gave him a small smile. "We'll be fine - " but before I could finish, he continued. "And I'm sorry for what I'm about to tell you, but it has to be said. I know you guys are going strong, but you need to know everything about my brother." My mouth was open. I shut it and shook my head, bewildered.

"Um, okay. But I'm a little confused..."

He grabbed my hand and started to take me into a different room. I felt Brian's eyes on us and I didn't sense approval. We got away from most of the banging and laughter and he sat down on a leather couch. As soon as I sat down, the words flowed from his mouth. And the didn't stop. The stories... I found myself tilted away from him, repulsed by what he was telling me. This couldn't be the truth. Steele was lying. Hill would never... No one could be as cruel as the person Steele was describing.

When he finally stopped, I stood quickly. "I don't know what you're trying to accomplish Steele, but it won't work. Don't speak to me again. I don't know how I could ever believe what you just told me..." I walked out, leaving him with his mouth parted and hand on the seat I just got out of.

This couldn't be happening. Steele would never sink so low as to bash his brother like that. My boyfriend. Granted, I didn't really know Hill before we dated. We weren't friends. But how could he? How could Steele say those things? I didn't realize where I was walking until another thought entered my mind. Find Hill. We had to leave. I had to get out of here. I ran into Brian going up the stairs.

"Brian, where's Hill? We need to leave." He searched my face, but before he could ask me anything, I shook my head.

"Please don't. I just have to find him." He nodded and we walked upstairs together. We searched all the rooms upstairs and I tried calling him. He didn't answer. I took a couple deep breaths and made my way to the bathroom at the end of the hall. Brian was one step behind me. I swallowed and said, "I'll just be a minute." I opened the door and my jaw dropped. Two faces that I clearly recognized were plastered together. Two shirts laid on the bathroom tiles, and two joints smoked on the counter. She was sitting on the counter beside the sink and he stood between her legs, kissing her with everything that he had. My heart felt like lead. I felt Brian pull me back slowly. My foot hit the door and the kissing stopped. Somehow, they broke apart and looked at us. Hill's face was emotionless. His eyebrows raised slightly as he looked at me, but he didn't move. The girl he was with? Lindsay. The one who made out with Steele just because. I looked back at his face. His ugly, twisted face. "Sorry Ellis, but you weren't giving me any. A guys gotta move on." Brian tugged on my arm and pulled me away. I couldn't speak. I couldn't breathe.

We barely made it outside before I couldn't walk anymore. He opened the passenger door for me and basically picked me up to put me in. My heart pounded and I could feel the pulse in my neck. How? Didn't I do everything I could? What was wrong with me? I barely heard Brian say that he would be right back and that I shouldn't move. I nodded, not understanding.

He came back two minutes later with a busted lip and a swelling black eye. That caught my attention. "Brian what the fuck?"

He slammed the door and started his car. "It's fine. Let's get you home."

Brian's POV

I made it to her house faster than I thought possible. I helped her out and together we trudged our way to her room. She went to get rubbing alcohol and cotton balls, so I walked around her room. A picture in a wooden frame caught my eye. It was of the two of us, tenth grade year. We were at a picnic with several different families. Her mom had managed to take a picture right after I told her a joke about a monk, a badger and a bar. She laughed so hard that milk came out of her nose. Fortunately for her, the picture was a split second before that happened. I was so in love with her then. I told her later that it was a crush, but that was the understatement of the century.

I sat down on her floor and fiddled with the end of the rug. The door opened and Ellis walked in, a glazed sort of look in her eyes. She sat down next to me, close enough for me to breathe in her familiar scent: downy detergent and something warm, like cinnamon. She pulled herself closer and began to dab off the blood. It was already dry.

"I'm so sorry Ellis." I whispered. Her hand hesitated, and she shook her head. "I was so stupid."

She dipped the tip of her finger into a weird looking balm and scooted closer still. Our legs were pressed together. Her eyes flickered to the cut on my lip and then to my eyes. I knew what she was asking. I nodded slightly.

She was too close. Her finger came up to my lips and she gently put the balm on the sore cut. Too close. She moved from the lip to my eye. The balm felt cool against the warm skin. Even with how gently she spread it, I couldn't help but wince. A tiny piece of her hair fluttered in front of her face. She was concentrating on my eye. "You know," she murmured, "If this were a movie..." She stopped. My breathing hitched. I knew exactly what she was talking about. The hurt guy, the caring girl - it always worked out in their favor. She seemed surprised that she said what she did. Her hand hung in the air. I tucked the blond behind her ear. Her green eyes found mine. "I know," I whispered.

She was too close.