The Life of Elizabeth Jane

Chapter 16: What Am I Suppose To Do With Out My Best Friend

That night Ellie didn't really sleep well at all. She woke up the next morning and headed downstairs.

"I made pancakes" said Edward.

Ellie walked past ignoring him, everyone watched her. She went to the frig and grabbed and apple, went to the door, threw on her boots and jacket and headed outside to the swing.

"You boys need to see if she will talk" said Edward.

"I feel horrible" said Will.

"Me to" said TJ.

"If I find out who it was, I will probably kill them" said John.

"John!" said Nancy.

"Sorry mom" said John.

Meanwhile Jesse came rolling in, he was up all night working.

He slowed down at the swing.

"Hey pumpkin" said Jesse.

Ellie didn't respond.

"I'm sorry sweet heart" he said.

Ellie still didn't answer.

"I will be back out" said Jesse.

He drove off. He headed inside.

He walked in the kitchen.

"We know who it was, except we can't find him anywhere" said Jesse.

"Who?" asked Edward.

"Adam Connor" said Jesse.

"What?" said Will, he was furious.

He was in Will's grade.

"Ya" said Jesse, "We can't find him, his family hasn't seen him, but they identified the truck."

"So what are you going to do?" asked TJ.

"Well we just have to wait for him to come around" said Jesse.

"Hows Ellie?" asked Jesse.

"Won't talk" said Nancy.

"I know she wouldn't say anything when I pulled in" said Jesse, "I'm going to talk to her."

"Please" said Nancy, "She can't keep everything inside like that."

Jesse headed outside, as Chace and Annie came in.

"How is she?" asked Chace.

"Not good, she won't talk" said Jesse.

"Do you know who it was?" asked Chace.

"Ya Adam Connor" said Jesse.

Jesse headed outside to Ellie.

He stood next to her.

"You want to talk about it?" asked Jesse.

Ellie shook her head and just looked down dragging her feet on the ground.

"Listen, I know it sucks, I know its hard to think about, and I know you don't know what to say" said Jesse.

Ellie was silent and then she said something.

"Your right I don't know what to say when people ask me how I am. What do you think? My best is friend is gone! and Its all my fault! How do you know how bad it is! You didn't loose your best friend!" yelled Ellie.

She ran off.

"Ellie!" he yelled.

Jesse sat down on the swing, he didn't know what to do. He watched her as she ran down the road. She knew she was going to go the tree down by the creek, but watched to make sure.

He headed inside.

"Any luck?" asked TJ.

"No, she ran off" said Jesse, "she said know understands, how she lost her best friend, and she said its all her fault."

"Where is she?" asked TJ.

"Tree by the stream" said Jesse.

TJ headed outside and to the tree.

"Ellie" he said looking up, "Listen your entirely right about most of what you said, we don't know how you feel, we don't know what it feels like to loose a best friend, but can you help us understand?"

Ellie looked down at him.

"Can you please come down" asked TJ.

Ellie started to make her way down. Once close enough TJ grabbed her.

Ellie wrapped her arms around TJ and cried. TJ rubbed her back and carried her up the road and inside.

"Can we get something to eat?" asked Ellie.

"Sure" said TJ.

Inside he sat her down in the living room and went to get her some pancakes.

"Thank you" said Nancy, "how did you do it?"

"I told her that she was right, and that we don't understand, but we want to understand" said TJ.

"I was waiting for that" said Nancy.

"What?" asked TJ.

"Wait you knew how to fix it, but you wanted us to figure it out?" asked Jesse.

"Yes" said Nancy with a smile.

"You do that a lot" said John.

"Yes" said Nancy again.

Annie smiled.

That night Ellie ended up in TJ's room. He was playing on his guitar.

She walked in.

"Figuring out a new song?" asked Ellie, as she climb on to his bed and sat down.

"Ya, I'm having a hard time with it" said TJ, motioning for her to come next to him, as he put his guitar down.

"You want to talk?" asked TJ.

"He was my best friend and I don't know what to do now" said Ellie. TJ put his arm around her and kissed her forehead.

"Its going to be hard, but I'm always here" said TJ.

"Thanks" said Ellie.

"Can I stay here awhile?" asked Ellie.

"Sure" said TJ.

TJ started playing the guitar again. Ellie laid down on his bed, TJ began to sing softly and play quietly, he knew she would fall asleep, she needed sleep, he knew she didn't sleep at all last night.

He soon stopped playing and looked over he she was fast asleep.

He put down his guitar and slowing put his arms under her and lifted her up, he carried her bridal style to her room, and laid her down in bed, slipped off her socks and took her clips out of her hair, then pulled her blanket over her.