Everlong

| One: Ellie |

My eyes narrowed, my hand steady as the brush smoothed over the canvas. I finished the line, running back over certain sections to thicken them as they grew closer to the bottom. I leant back and let my eyes trace the road as it weaved out of the forest, leaving the bottom corner of the canvas.

I flicked some hair over my shoulder and pushed up my denim headband. It was a strip of denim I'd cut off an old jacket once it had become unwearable. Tied in a knot at the bottom of my head, it was a great headband.

            I heard a door open and close as I dipped the brush back in the paint on my palette. Footsteps approached, becoming muted as they hit the carpet in my room. I glanced over my shoulder, smiling as Charlie came into view holding two smoothies.

            "Hey, Charles," I greeted, putting my brush on a bit of paper towel to accept the smoothie she held out.

            "Hey, yourself," she said, stepped back so she stood just outside my closet-turned-studio. Dad had redone it for me years ago, on the days Jack and I would sleep over. Wooden floor and shelving, so that I had somewhere in his house I could paint privately.

            "What've you been doing?" I asked, washing off my brush and putting down my palette. I walked over to join her in sprawling over my bed, our arms thrown over our heads. We looked up at my ceiling of stars, painted by me when I was seven.

            "I did some homework, got my footy back from the boys' room, and headed out to grab the smoothies." Her leg cocked up, swaying gently. "Have you been painting all day?"

            "Since dad left for work at lunchtime. I tried doing homework, but I was zoning out way too much."

            "Where's Jack?"

            "He left for work at like eight. He should be back soon, probably with Miles in tow."

            We stayed quiet for a moment, listening to the urban song of birds and cars drifting through my window. The sun filtered through my sheer curtain, warming us as we lay there quietly.

            "You wanna have a movie night?" She asked. "You can come over, or I can duck home and grab the Slipper and the Rose?" I cocked my head, considering.

            "If we steal the den before Jack and Miles get back, we can spread out instead of camping in here with my laptop..."

            Her gaze met mine. We grinned, jumping up and rushing separate ways. She bolted out the door and out of the house, no doubt sprinting around the block to her house. I rushed into my closet, quickly washing off my brushes and palette and putting them away. I left the doors open so the canvas could dry, and ripped off my headband to throw it onto my bed.

            I stripped the blanket off my bed, rushing down the short hall to the den. I dumped the blanket in the middle of the lounge, stealing throw pillows from the armchair and setting a pillow at each end. I ran back to my room, grabbed my charger and phone, and raced back out to plug it in by the lounge.

            Looking at the time, Jack and Miles would be finishing in ten minutes. If we're comfortable enough by the time they get home, they might not even bother arguing. Though I'll be the first to admit it's a long shot.

            I heard a bike pull into the driveway just as Charlie burst through the door. "ASSUME THE POSITION!" She screeched, shoving the DVD into the player, then throwing herself onto the lounge face-first.

            I rushed in, flopping onto the other end. I stretched my foot to the coffee table, hitting play and throwing the blanket over my legs just as Jack walked through the door. He took one look at us, glanced at the TV, and sighed before heading to the bathroom. The faint smell of oil followed him.