Ellie has been best friends with Ethan and Grayson Dolan since they were three years old and it's only ever been platonic. Until.....
Disclaimers:
• Sean is alive in this story; I don't want anyone to feel offended by that, as I truly loved and resp...
I decided to eat in the library because I knew I'd be left alone in there. Grayson wasn't a library kind of guy and neither were any of the rest of my friends. Hell, I'm not even a library person for that matter.
After lunch I went to English class. When I walked in, Sophie was sitting in her assigned seat, which was next to mine. I joined her, hoping that she wouldn't continue any part of the discussion we had last night.
"Hey stupid ass."
So much for hopes.
"Soph it's not gonna happen, so can we please just move on?"
"No way! I'm not giving up on Grellie."
She says 'Grellie' and an image from Saturday night flashes through the front of my head. My stomach churns and my blood runs hot.
Fantastic. Is this what it's going to be like from now on?
• • •
Once English ended, it was time for Photography, which was always my favorite class of the day... except for today.
When I took the SD card out and put it in the monitor to look through the pictures I'd taken over the weekend, my brain started doing the same thing it had in English when Sophie said "Grellie".
Instead of just 'palm trees', my brain associated the image as 'palm trees, like the ones you and Grayson put your shoes under.'
'Sand' became 'sandyou kissed Grayson on.'
After clicking through about three or four pictures, I had to eject the card and turn off the computer altogether.
But I knew things were only about to get worse. My 8th and final period was study hall with Grayson. And after how I ignored him in 4th, and the fact that Ethan wouldn't be there, there was no doubt in my mind that he'd try to talk to me again. I saw no way out other than to ditch and take the city bus home.
When I got home, I told myself I'd make up for the work I couldn't do in Photography that afternoon. But the images were still somehow all attached to him no matter how hard I tried to separate them. So I spent the next couple hours on homework that didn't.
Finally I checked my phone. 9 messages from "Gray💞😁✌️"
11:59 AM [Gray💞😁✌️ » Me]: What was all that about?
12:30 PM [Gray💞😁✌️ » Me]: El, what's going on with you?
12:49 PM [Gray💞😁✌️ » Me]: Why are you ignoring me?
1:53 PM [Gray💞😁✌️ » Me]: Ok I couldn't find you at lunch & now you're skipping 8th... do you suddenly hate me or something?
1:58 PM [Gray💞😁✌️ » Me]: ELLIE
2:04 PM [Gray💞😁✌️ » Me]: Can you please just answer me?
God, can he just leave me alone?! Why does he care if I'm in class or not? It's none of his damn business anyway.
• • •
[Grayson's POV]
I can't find her at lunch and by the time the late bell for eighth period rings, she's still not in study hall. I send her a few texts and she replies to none of them.
What the fuck is going on? I hate this feeling. Fuck this. She said we were okay... she promised we'd figure it out.
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Delivered. Since when does she have her read receipts off for me? She's had them on ever since we got phones.
• • •
By the time school was over I'd sent about 10 messages - none of which got an answer.
I was distracted during football practice and it showed.
"49, what's the matter with you?" Coach yelled.
"Sorry!" I said, picking myself up off the turf from what seemed like the millionth tackle I'd sustained that afternoon.
"Hustle up!"
• • •
I drove home after practice and took a shower. But then I was distracted eating dinner, distracted doing my homework, distracted taking out the trash, and distracted doing anything and everything else for the whole rest of the night.
Even though I was absolutely exhausted, I couldn't sleep.
She had completely monopolized my mind.
• • •
The next day was Tuesday, and I drove to her house around 7:15 am. Ethan was sick. Again. And Ellie was gone, again. So I drove to school by myself. Again.
