Maude gives hugs and kisses. On the cheek of course. Everyone who came to the goodbye party talked over the upbeat music. Over stories about Maude. The embarrassing kind, and funny ones. She came to a stop in front of a friend of hers. "Hello, Elliott. I'm glad you came." Her friend looked at her with a smile on his face.
When Maude and Elliott met Elliott's family moved when he was five. He wasn't very happy to make good friends. But his mother brought him over to the Sixon's house. To give an introduction to the neighbors. Maude's mother opened the door and introduced the kids to each other. That's how the both of them became friends.
Elliott took Maude's appearance in and exhaled on a breath he didn't know he was holding in. She gave him a hug, not letting go. He held onto her embrace. Trying not to smell her. Maude let go of him and lead him to the backyard. Following her orders he followed behind. She sat on the old swing. Moving her feet against the ground.
Elliott went behind her, slowly bringing the swing she sat in, back. It seemed quiet, but the birds chirped in a bitter silence. Which made it not so silent. A few minutes passed. Then, Maude decided to start up a conversation. In a whispering voice she says, "Elliott, what are we going to do?"
In that moment Elliott stopped what he was doing. He got on the ground. Sitting with his feet crisscrossed. Maude let her feet dangle to stop the swing. She got up and sat on the ground beside him. The silent tension felt like at any moment a ball could drop to end it. Looking at the time on her phone, she knew she would need to go sometime soon.
The silence is filled with unanswered questions. And there is unanswered question that need to.
Since a few years ago Maude found out something she wasn't supposed to. Elliott has been hiding a crush on her for six years. It was when she was going to a class. And on the way she heard someone yell something from a dorm room. It was Elliott. Recognizing the voice immediately, she listened in. Forgetting her class.
He took in his breathe. Grabbing a hold of her hand. Making her jerk her body towards him. He wanted to ask her, "How long have you've known?" But took a second to go over what he wanted to say. That second later he figured out exactly what he wanted to say. "Maude, honestly I have no idea." And that's where it took off. He explained himself and why he feels this way. Being honest to himself he wanted her to stay.
She took in everything he told her, but wondered why he wasn't answering her question. At his brief explanation she hesitated. He noticed, squeezing her hand. She looked up with a sheepish grin. Elliott tries to think what she's wondering about, and remembers her question.
This time he thinks discreetly. Gosh. I don't know what I want, his thoughts clouded his mind. He knew he could never let her go. Everything about her made him feel like he was home. A reasonable thought took him over. He smiled, knowing the answer he's going to give her.
"Maude Sixon." Hey says. She looks at him nervously. Fidgeting with her nails she calms down some. Hope fills with her heart as she waits.
"I love you. Both friendly and romantically. I want to be with you, but I also want you to do what you've dreamt of." He trailed off and she smiled. Bringing up his chin slightly she pecks his lips. That shut him up. And he pecked back, right before their foreheads met.
With words at the tip of her lips she whispers in his ear. "I love you too. I want to be able to be together for us to date." Then looks at the time again. About to go back inside, but a grip on her wrist caught her. Elliott spills the words that we're waiting to roll off. "Right before you leave can we not say goodbye to each other?" He waits for a response. She comes back to him, looking right in the eye. "Who says we have to?" Smirking at his reaction. "We don't have to. Till we meet again."
There she leaves. Elliott is speechless but thankful she didn't reject him.
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