Days had past since the fair, but the end result in trying to find Gordie and Ella had only failed. They didn't find them.
Ella was only running some errands with her mom. She was currently at a grocery store, and by some lucky chance, so was Chris.
He was on the other side, getting some groceries as well. Since they were running low on food, he figured he'd feed his siblings with his own money.
"Ouu, mom get those." Ella said while pointing to a box of cookies. Her mom gave her a look which she responded to by saying "Grandpa likes them too."
She gave her mom pleading eyes and her mom rolled hers but threw them in the cart anyway.
Chris on the other hand, was on the other side of the isle and just so happened to recognized that sweet voice. His heart raced but he quickly found his self going into the next isle, where he heard the voice coming from and there she was. She wore a usual skirt and blouse, they were yellow. He quickly looked away and went on to pretend he was looking for something, moving slowly yet closer to her.
It wasn't long till she noticed him but she didn't say anything. He was just behind her and her mom, looking for something on the opposite direction of the isle. She looked at him for a second, just to be sure and looked back in the other direction. She had only hoped he'd recognize her himself. She found herself looking back, just to see if he would and with her luck he did.
"Hi, Chris." She said, once she figured it was too late to pretend she didn't see him.
"Oh, hey, Ella. Didn't recognize you for abit." He lied and smiled.
"I could almost say the same thing." She smiled back. Her mom stood between the two confused as to who the hell this guy was and why he was talking to Ella. Her mom kept her eyes on Ella while tapping her foot, as if to ask who he was and how she knew him.
"Oh, you must be mrs. Fontaine." Chris put his hand for her to shake, assuming it was her mother, wanting to have somewhat of a nice first impression.
"Yes, and you are?" She shook his hand and asked.
"I'm Chris, a friend of Ella's." He smiled at her. He sighed of relief once he saw her return the favour.
"Well it's nice to see Ella's gotten to know some people around here. It's nice meeting you Chris." Her mom smiled and so did Ella.
"You too, mrs. Fontaine." Chris smiled back at her. She felt flattered he still remembered her last name, since she never said it while reintroducing herself.
Ella's mom felt there was no harm with this boy, especially with how he greeted her. She also felt Ella seemed to like him a little bit, after all she did say hi to him first. It was something she never did infront of her mom, even with her friends back home.
She got that as her queue to leave, after all Ella would still be in the same building so there was no worry there. She patted her arm as if to say I'll see you around and Ella nodded.
"That's my mom." She said and they walked down the isle together.
"I can tell." He chuckled.
"What have you been up to?" She asked and put her arms behind her back, holding her hands.
"Well, I've been getting some grocery's for my siblings." He paused and stopped. He leaned on one of the shelf's. "What've you been up to?" He asked and folded his arms while looking at her.
He couldn't help but take in her looks all again. She leaned back on the shelf's like he did and rested her hands on them. Today she wore pigtails, with a nice red lipstick laid out on her lips.
"Oh, I'm just running some errands with my mom." She shrugged.
"That sounds fun.. but maybe coming with me would be funner?" She chuckled at his choice of word. He couldn't help his self, he was alone and so was she, kind of. What he meant by that, there was no Gordie or Vee. He saw the opportunity and took it.
Ella wasn't so sure of the idea though, knowing he had a girlfriend, but then again he never introduced her in that kind of way. She couldn't help but be curious about the handsome boy standing in front of her.
"I'd have to ask my mom about that." She decided her mom would make that decision for her, not that she had a choice anyway. He just smirked at her response, it showed she wanted to be with him.. in some sort.
*
"Where are we going?" Ella laughed nervously as they walked up a woodsy hill.
"Stop asking, you'll see." Chris chuckled at the fifth time she asked.
"How many times have you been in Castle Rock?" He asked and she went back to think.
"Six." She said, but you could tell she wasn't so sure.
"You'd think you know where you are by now." He said to the clueless girl.
Soon the roof of the treehouse could be seen and she stopped to look at Chris. She had no idea this was the other trail to the treehouse. I was much more difficult coming from a hill.
"To be fair, I've only came here by that trail." She pointed to the trail opposite from them and he laughed.
"When's the last time you came here?" She asked. He couldn't be too sure.
"Probably when I was fourteen.." he said and he almost looked disappointed in his self.
"Whatever happened to that boy with the glasses?" She asked, referring to Teddy, the boy she met the first time she met Chris.
"He got weird.. well, he's still the same, just weird to everyone I guess." He shrugged.
"That's sad." She looked down. They got to the treehouse and paused. They just looked at eachother.
"Well what are you waiting for?" She asked him, and with that he climbed up.
It looked different from the last time he came. It was a lot more dusty and most of the things that made it a fun place we're missing, including Teddy, Vern and Gordie. But of course, being alone with Ella he didn't mind. To his surprise though, there was an almost empty pack of cigarettes that contained like three smokes. He picked them up and tried to offer her one. She thought about it, and she wanted to somewhat impress him, so she took it.
"I didn't think you'd smoke." He said to her after lighting it, then going on to light hers for her.
"What? I smoke like a pack a day." She said sarcastically and chuckled. She took a puff of the smoke and immediately coughed at the harshness. Chris just laughed.
"Obviously." He said and grabbed it from her lips. She just gave him a shocked look.
"You don't have to take it just cause I offered." He said to her and she looked down at herself at how easy she gave in. I guess she didn't have to after all.
She looked back and blushed at how suddenly close they were.
"Sorry abo-" he tried to apologize but she cut him off.
"It's ok." She said, and pulled him closer.
His heart started racing once she did so. He found hisself lost with what to do, because he imagined his self making the first move. She saw he looked kind of lost and felt maybe he didn't feel that way, and embarrassed with what she just pulled. Maybe he was only looking for a friendship.
"No, I'm sorry." She said and tried to climb down once again.
"No, Ella!" He tried to stop her, but he simply couldn't. She was already out.
"I'll see you around Chris." She said and ran.
"Ella, wait up!" He tried to chase her and mentally scolded his self. There was an open spot and he closed it on his self. Her house was a lot closer then he expected cause by the time he caught up she was already running through the front door.
He only felt terrible for putting her in a position where she felt he didn't like her. He truly did, but what was he gonna do with Veronica?
