ON HOLD:Ethereal Elle

Chapter Six, F**k It To The Fear!

"What are you doing here psychic girl!?" Ace shouted loudly with a wide smile on his face, Elle continued to giggle at him as she could barely hear a word he was saying. They stared at each other without any awkwardness, Ace began to down his beer before holding his hand out to Elle. She glanced down at it in surprise before taking his hand slowly, he smiled at her once again before pulling her through the crowds. Elle looked back at the dance floor to see Robyn glaring at her through the crowds of sweaty college kids.

Ace took Elle out to the back garden where it was much more quiet and easier to talk. She could feel the nerves fluttering in her stomach as people stared at them weirdly. Her brain was overthinking the whole situation, as the only time she had seen college parties was on silly teen movies. Ace found an empty spot next to the fire for them to sit, he let go of her hand and quickly got himself comfortable, Elle watched him with a smirk on her face before sitting down next to him.

"I didn't think I'd see you here, that's for sure" Ace said to her while opening another beer, Elle sighed deeply.

"Yeah, me too. This is the last place I want to be" She replied while holding her hands out to feel the heat of the fire. Ace glanced at her and nodded, confirming he felt exactly the same. Elle  continuously looked around at all of the people who were outside, checking to see if any of them were judging her or talking about her. Ace noticed this, he watched her as she got lost inside her head. He reached out and gently tapped her arm which made her jump, she glanced at him and he smiled.

"You shouldn't care what anybody thinks, especially strangers, they don't matter" Ace explained to her quietly, she sighed and lowered her head.

"I care what everyone thinks, its hell. I'm a push over too. A person could treat me like dirt and I'd still protect them with my own life" Elle told him honestly with her head lowered, Ace listened with an intriguing look on his face. She looked up at him as he drank his beer before laughing quietly.

"You're like, an angel, or something" He said, continuing to smile at her. Elle stared at him in shock before feeling the butterflies doing laps in her stomach. They stared at each other in silence once again, without any awkwardness, until it was rudely interrupted.

"Elle, what the fuck?" Mariah shouted across the garden, Elle and Ace both looked her direction before she strutted towards them.

"Robyn is really upset because of you, why did you ditch us? She's crying now and the night is ruined" Mariah told Elle while looking Ace up and down. Elle sighed deeply before getting up from where she was sitting.

"I'm sorry Ace" She whispered to him before running into the house, Mariah smirked and followed her.

I spent my time at the party adventuring into the bedrooms, awkwardly adverting my gaze from the drunk people having sex on the beds and going through the cupboards looking for something either intriguing or illegal. I found neither. After that I headed back down to the living room where the dance floor was situated, this is when Elle was running back to Robyn who was sitting with Leah on a sofa. Leah had her arm around Robyn as they talked, I watched them while rolling my eyes. Elle then appeared in their presence, which then lead to Robyn yelling at her.

"This is our first college party together and you'd rather spend it with Alan, a popular asshole than your best friend!" Robyn shouted after Elle apologised for disappearing. Mariah stood behind Elle with her arms crossed and Leah stared at her in fury.

"T-Thats not true! He grabbed my hand and took me outside!" Elle shouted back nervously, Leah began to laugh at her excuse.

"You're lying! I saw you go over to him! So you've got a thing with a band boy and you didn't even tell me? I thought you trusted me?" Robyn said as she got up from the sofa and glared at Elle. Elle didn't know how to handle this, most of the time she felt as if her friends despised her and didn't notice when she disappeared.

"Robyn, you know I'm uncomfortable at parties, I wanted to be outside. And no I don't have a thing with Alan, I've talked to him twice!" Elle explained, trying not to break down. Robyn rolled her eyes before grabbing Leahs arm and heading into the crowds on the dance floor. Elle watched her in horror before locking eyes with Mariah, who was laughing to herself over the situation.

"How the fuck is this funny?" Elle snapped angrily at Mariah, who might I add was a terrifying individual. She always looked like she was on her way to kill somebody, her expressions were constantly filled with fury.

"This is funny" Mariah said while pointing to Elles face before turning and following Leah and Robyn onto the dance floor. Elle stood alone for a second trying to gather her confused thoughts. The night went from terrifying to amazing to absolutely horrible in the space of one hour.

Elle began to look through the crowds before she found me standing in the corner watching her, she smiled ever so slightly and I did the same. I began looking around the room before seeing Ace entering the dance floor again, he joined his annoying friends at the side of the room. I looked back at Elle who was still looking at me, I tilted my head to the left and looked Aces way to try and tell her to go back to him. She pulled out her phone and began messaging me.

"Robyn is mad at me, Mariah was making fun of me, if I go back over to him they will see. Maybe we should just leave? :(" Elle sent to me, I read it before glancing up at her with an angry expression on my face. She continued to watch me as I replied.

"Fuck them! Do you want to speak to him again? If you do, then do it! They are JEALOUS."

Elle shook her head at my message, laughing nervously. She looked at me once again and I nodded to her. It was clear she wanted to see him again, otherwise she would have left the party already. She continued to stand there for a minute longer before looking to me and nodding, I smiled widely as she pushed through the crowds. She was doing it! She was living! Saying fuck it to the fear and judgement!

Elle walked right passed Robyn, which stopped her from dancing and instead she watched Elles every move as she approached the boys at the side of the dancefloor. As soon as Ace noticed Elle walking towards him, his bored expression became happy and excited. Robyn continued to watch and she saw this in Aces face.

Aces friends stared at Elle in confusion as Ace approached her and instantly shut out everybody and everything around him. Richard glanced at Ross and Gregg, as if to say "Who the hell is this chick?". I watched the boys look Elle up and down, judging her, just like she was afraid of beforehand. But this time she didn't see them, I felt like she couldn't see anybody but Ace, same with him to her.

Gregg, Aces friend continued to stare at Elle even after the other boys had got bored and decided to go elsewhere. He would not take his eyes off of what was going on between them. It began to creep me out after twenty solid minutes of him watching their every move, all they were doing was shouting into each others ears and occasionally laughing.

Elle no longer felt anxious or upset at the dramas of the evening, she was once again enjoying herself and the company she had.

"Do you like to dance?" Ace shouted in her ear before beginning to jump around with his arms waving in the air, he looked very goofy. Elle watched him wide eyed and laughing as loud as she possibly could. They were both smiling so much that it seemed as if they were glowing. Ace continued to dance around before taking Elles hand and making her goofy dance with him. I'd never seen her so confident and care free in my life. The anxious angel was now jumping around at a college house party with the boy she liked, I felt like a proud mother watching her.

There were many eyes on them as I expected there to be. The quiet artist dancing around with one of the boys that only 'popular theatre girls' can get. Gregg was still watching their every move as well as Robyn, but there was someone else who caught my attention.

"Shit.." I muttered while looking into the crowd to see Imogen, the pretty theatre girl that had a mysterious past with Ace. She was watching them with an empty expression, not jealous, not angry, not sad. She was just watching. That's what unsettled me the most.