elena huffed as she closed her bedroom door, sitting in the middle of her floor and spreading her limbs out in her usual starfish pose. she had walked herself home, much to monse and cesar's disappointment, fiddling with her belt loops as she walked.
it was made clear to her now, more than ever, that meeting ruby again has more to it than just some kind of instant love at first sight. even though her feelings for the boy are as strong as ever, she has other things to think about too. is she making a mistake? is she moving too fast? does ruby even like her like that? what if she ruins the friend group dynamic?? could elena be so selfish as to sacrifice the feelings of her friends just because of her own emotions???
she's deep in thought on her floor and doesn't hear when yesenia walks in, and her older sister slips in next to her on the floor.
"hey."
elena startles, and her sister laughs as elena's eyes finally focus on yesenia. "you okay?" yesenia asks, and elena nods slowly. "you sure?" she pressed further, and elena nodded even slower.
"okay, maybe not." elena finally said, and yesenia laughed. "i figured. you came home and didn't immediately try to find something to eat, so." yesenia laughed, and elena groaned as she sat up. "no, it's fine. just teenage stuff." she sighed, and looked at her older sister.
"i won't press it, but don't stay too quiet. i like having my weird sister," yesenia said, and got up to leave. "weird?" elena whispered to herself as she left, and then checked her phone. she idly played some music, and then noticed she had a missed call from monse. but, elena didn't get to call back because soon after she heard a knock on her window.
pausing her music, she slowly walked to the window. as she became hyper-aware of the fact that she has nothing to protect herself with in her room, she quickly ripped opened her blinds.
"oh, hey cesar," elena said, and then opened her window so he could come in. "um, what are you doing here?" she asked as he fully stood in her room, and he looked around before finally landing his gaze on elena.
"sorry for creeping in on you like this. i just had to ask you something before ruby or jamal ruin things," he said, and sat himself on elena's bed. "okay, should i be worried?" elena asked, and cesar chuckled before shaking his head. "so, i'm sure you know ruby's a little, dramatic. i just wanted to ask if... if you-"
"elena?"
elena turned to the voice outside her door, and quickly rushed cesar under the bed as she went to go open it. "y-yes?" she asked, having to clear her throat after. "are you... okay?" her brother asked, and elena nodded quickly. "i thought i heard another voice in there or something... and why are your eyes so wide? are you hitting the pipe-" joel pressed, looking into elena's room.
"oh my god- no, i was trying to do a new hairstyle and it didn't work. took a lot out of me, and you know i don't do workouts." elena rushed out, and joel narrowed his eyes at his older sister. "well.. okay. hey, can i borrow your razor? there's this really nasty-" he started, but elena groaned and closed her door again.
she turned back to her room, and looked under her bed to see cesar still hiding. "we're good," she said, and he laughed and shimmied out. "so, it's about ruby. i'm just gonna come out and say it, he has a huge crush on you. i promise i won't say anything, but... how do you feel about ruby? he's just, one of my best friends, and i don't want to see him hurt," cesar rambled, and elena laughed nervously.
"you know, it's a little weird that you came into my room just to ask me how i feel about ruby. could've just texted me, no?" elena deflected, and cesar scoffed. "probably. but, seeing you nervous is a good sign, right?" he asked, and elena blinked three times in a row. "so, i guess there's your answer then, huh?" elena asked, and cesar chuckled and put his hands in his pockets.
"yeah, it is. ruby likes you too, elena."
the next few days were a blur, elena hanging out with monse often and semi-awkwardly avoiding ruby. which, she should've been doing ever since she found him in her bathroom with his hand down his pants, but she chooses to ignore that.
on the day that aurora and tanner were supposed to be arriving, elena didn't even want to get out of bed. she's been dealing with all the weird things from ruby, and she doesn't know if she's ready for these two parts of her world to collide.
being in freeridge again, making jokes with people who could take a joke, and eating foods that had seasoning was something she didn't realize she missed. but, she missed aurora and watching movies all the time and buying fake nails at grocery stores.
elena pulled her bed sheets over her head, and let out a loud groan.
"good morning to you too?"
elena shrieked, and came out from under the covers to see monse standing in her room. she groaned, and monse sat near elena's legs. "you know, it's already 11?" monse asked, and elena nodded. "and ruby was bugging me to make sure you were still alive, so here i am." monse added, and elena didn't reply.
"i don't want to go outside today. i'm so tired of being outside," elena mumbled, and monse chuckled. "well, this is soon to be one of the last weeks of summer before school starts. we gotta be doing some memorable stuff before our lives are never the same.
"oh, aren't your little white friends coming today?"
at the mention, elena sunk deeper into her bed, and monse let out a long-drawled ohhhhh. "well, maybe there's nothing to worry about?" monse consoled, and elena chuckled. "yeah, sure."
"why are you so nervous about it? aren't these people your friends?"
"yeah, but.. i don't know how well they'll do here. i love the gesture of them coming to visit, but, they are not freeridge prepared. do y'all have a white side of town? they'd be better staying there," elena rambled, and monse laughed. "yeah, send them to brentwood. kind of far, but super uppity." monse replied, and elena finally sat up.
"oh! she lives!"
elena mumbled mockingly, and sat up as she went to check her phone. she had some messages from cesar and 17 voicemails from jamal. she tried to hide her disappointment over the fact that ruby sent her nothing, but wasn't too confident in her acting skills.
"so um, how's ruby been?"
"kind of weird, but i think that's his default at this point."
elena grunted at that, and monse raised an eyebrow. "not the answer you wanted?" she laughed, but stopped when elena only blinked as a response. "i mean... he was kind of off earlier, a few days ago. the first day you didn't hang out with us, basically." monse said, and elena hummed.
"well, cool. now, i need to go brush my teeth and redo my hair."
"you- you were dressed under there?"
monse watched in horror as elena stepped out from her bed fully dressed, her shirt kind of wrinkled, with socks on and everything. "i'm always prepared," elena said, and then left monse to go brush her teeth.
:D yes season 3 revived me i wrote all of this in one go i'm on a ROLL currently i wish i could explain my great absence but. i have no reason for being gone other than i was nervous i wouldnt write as well as you all seem to think i do lol this book has 4k reads!! that's freaking amazing!!!! i have no words i can gather to truly emphasize how grateful i am to you all who read my short book 😔 it's gonna get going from here though i promise :3 -emma
(of course heres elenas outfit lol)
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