Constellations & Cactuses

chapter 10

           

if monday was a person, it would look like Ellie with lack of sleep. After she woke up on Saturday morning in my arms, i couldn't help but notice this weird feeling of calm, the feeling of her breath on my chest, her chest rising and falling on mine. she made me feel a little more alive, which was the opposite of what she looked like at the time. she didn't look beautiful or pretty, she looked real.

her hair was a mess and was in tangles falling down her back. she had shadows under her eyes which looked all too familiar to my own. tear streaks still left on her cheeks from last night, yet she looked like Ellie. It's a weird thing watching someone in their sleep, in the least creepy way possible. they always seem to look so honest. they aren't forcing a cheesy smile or worried about their appearance.

Ellie fiddled with her hair from across the hall, glancing in her locker mirror. today she did not look like monday, which was ironic as it was in fact that day of the week. she looked more put together in the worst kind of way.

after she woke up, she seemed to linger a little longer than I expected, not that i was complaining. she stayed for breakfast, watched an overplayed episode of friends which she still happened to laugh at. she went through my cds and we laid on my bed listening to every lyric matthew murphy sang, which she after told me my music taste was horrible and rearranged all my cds in alphabetical order, but i didn't mind.

Ellie didn't feel like company, she just seemed so natural and fit so well in her surroundings.

the red haired girl looked away from the mirror and over at me with a small smile before making her way over. before she can get more than half way a lanky figure with dark hair walks over to her grabbing her shoulder.

ash stands easily towering over Ellie's small form and begins to tell her something that is inaudible to my ears. Ellie glances over at me with a frown before looking back at ash and struggling out of his grip.

"hey," she says instantly putting on an obvious fake smile.

"hi?" i say back confused.

"so, before you say no just consider it okay?" she continues ignoring what i had just seen.

"no,"

"parker," she groans before reaching out on her tippy toes and using her index finger to touch my nose.

"fine, what?" i mumble swatting away her finger.

she smiles at bit retreating her finger.

"come sit with my friends and i at lunch," she says more like an instruction than a suggestion.

"and what if i say no?" i test her.

"i will tickle you," she warns.

"i'm not even ticklish,"

"i have hands that work wonders!" she exclaims innocently throwing her hands in my face causing few people to look over at us with confused and disturbed looks on their faces.

i quickly grab her arms and pull them down.

"don't say that so loudly,"

"what?" Ellie asks looking up at me confused.

god this girl is so pure.

"wait, OH!" she gasps quickly before covering her mouth as her face goes red.

i roll my eyes at her.

"meet me outside of english before lunch so you can show me where you guys sit," i tell her before i close my locker and walk off.

i swear i can feel Ellie's smile glaring into my back as i walk to my first class.

english was my only class with Ellie and although we didn't sit next to each other i could easily see her across from the classroom with her friends. it's not that i was staring on purpose, she just had this gravitational force to her and i can't help but not look at her.

ash enters the classroom with sage following shortly behind him. before i can tell what's going on he walks straight up to Ellie tugs at her ponytail childishly. i shift in my seat but Ellie just turns around to glare at ash before making eye contact with me and quickly looking back down at her empty desk.

my mind is racing 'what did ash say to Ellie this morning?'.

class ends more quickly than expected and i wait outside for Ellie so we can head off to lunch. she must of rushed off quicker than expected because there was no one else left in the classroom.

knowing where she usually sits for lunch (not in a creepy way) i make my way to the cafeteria. as i walk through the open double doors i notice Ellie looking up from her table with her friends and smiling.

i cautiously make my way over to the three girls, Ellie's friends stares glaring into my skin making me feel itchy and self conscious. Ellie encouragingly pats the seat next to her across from her friends. I quickly sit down placing my school bag under the seat.

"esme, jane this is parker." Ellie waved her hand infront of herself, "park this is esme and jane."

both of the girls across from us looked unimpressed, could they atleast pretend to like me for Ellie's sake? Ellie looks up at me slightly concerned and shake my head letting her know not to worry.

i immediately start unpacking my lunch to avoid an awkward silence that had fallen upon the table.

"so you work at the florist?" one of the girls, Ellie refered to as Jane says rather harshly.

"yeah my mum owns it," i tell her, raising an eyebrow, questioning her unreasonable tone.

"isn't that a bit girly?" the other girl, presumably Esme says in the same tone as Jane.

Ellie puts her sandwich down quickly.

 "i don't believe it's girly to want to help your mum out." i tell her straight on. 

"why are you such a loner?" jane asks rudely. 

"yeah what's wrong with you?" esme added, smiling wickedly almost.

that was enough, as much as i wanted to hang out with Ellie and try to be nice for her sake, her friends were making it awfully hard.

"you're friends are being assholes." i whisper to Ellie before pushing my chair back making a few people from the surrounding tables to look up.

"i'm sorry Ellie." i tell her and i make my way out of the cafeteria, my anger at an all time high.

i make my way directly up to the roof of the school, where all the 'bad' kids go to smoke and where flick, the captain of the cheer squad comes to cheat on her football star boyfriend with liam the schools biggest nerd. trust me, you don't want to know the story behind that one.

the roof is empty today so I lean against the door and close my eyes trying to control my anger.

i hear arguing coming from down the hall and i decide maybe this isn't the best place to cool down. maybe i will be able to convince my mom to come pick me up. i begin making my way downstairs where i notice a short figure with red hair speaking indistress. Ellie. i peek around the corner to see ash.

why is he hanging around Ellie and why does she look so upset?