Three Eleven Thirteen

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

Ellie has been a self-pitying mess.   

I found myself so busy researching the lab my father had worked at to create Ellie, that I'd purposely ignored how Ellie hadn't come up from the basement in three days -and if he had, I hadn't noticed.

Part of me felt bad for refusing to acknowledge him, but the other part of me was relieved that he was displaying such human emotion.

Regret, humiliation, depression even. Whatever it is that he's feeling, I was horribly happy about him feeling it.

I left my bedroom for the first time all day when I heard someone knocking on the front door. I had no doubt in my mind on who it was, but for the first time, I didn't dread it.

Descending down the stairs, I realized just how eerie the house is with nobody living in it. The living room was trashed with candy wrappers thanks to Ellie's sugar addiction, and the floor was encased with thousands of colorful drops of paint, thanks to my own carelessness. The walls were vibrant in paintings and colors, but none of the paintings were happy ones. In fact, most of them were of creatures, that even Ellie claimed were "our monsters like Victor Frankenstein's."

The kitchen was a mess. I refused to see it, I refused to acknowledge it.

I opened the front door half-way, and peered out. Just as I expected, I was greeted with Levi, who was grinning at me like a child.

I smiled back, and I found it not as difficult to do as I remembered it being.

"Good morning, Levi." I said, thought I wasn't quite sure if it was morning or already past noon.

"Good morning, Ripley." He said, as he immediately cut straight to the point, "I, uhh, came by to invite you to dinner, tonight, I mean. Dinner tonight." Even I noticed how nervous he was. I couldn't help but be slightly amused.

I opened my mouth to answer, but he quickly cut me off, "Before you say anything," He spoke incredibly fast, "Just so you know, I'd be taking you out to dinner," He made sure to emphasize the word 'out', "Meaning my mother will be nowhere in sight."

At least he was aware at how insane his mother is.

I was about to politely decline when a voice in the back of my head tugged all thoughts of saying no away. I've never been on a date before (well, I have, but they were never any good), what reason do I have for saying no? I haven't done anything like a normal teenager since my father died -and even then seeing me socialize was scarce.

I looked Levi up and down. He's hardly attractive, and I don't know much about him other than his family are all psychotic -not that I'm one to speak.

I allowed the words to slip free before I'd have time to think about them and regret it, "Sure, I'd like to go to dinner with you."

I don't think I've ever seen someone smile so wide, it was actually a bit terrifying, "Cool." He said with an exhale of breath I didn't realize he was holding, "I'll come by around six tonight."

I nodded, "Sounds good."

I closed the door.

I was suddenly screaming in my head from regret or shock, or a bit of disbelief, I wasn't too sure. I'm going on a date, with Levi. My neighbor with the creepy mother and rude sister who I think may be a sociopath. No big deal.

I took a deep breath, and sighed. This is good, I tried to convince myself, this is what I need to ease my way back into a normal life.

I walked over to the basement door, refusing to allow my rushing emotions to show, I pounded my fist on the