Cigarettes || R+E

Chapter 16

As she stepped up on the wooden porch, Rachel prepared herself for a hoard of questions. She sighed and knocked on the door, waiting for it to turn and open.

"Hello, Rach," the small brunette smiled from ear to ear, her big doe eyes gleaming in the evening sun. Rachel smiled, "Hey, El," she greeted as she stepped inside the tiny suburban home.

"Papa, Rachel's here! We'll be upstairs!" Ellie called out before her father approached the girls. He smiled and waved at the messy girl with glasses, "Okay, Ellie bear, make sure to take your pills."

-

"How was the appointment?" Ellie questioned, sitting on the foot of her bed, dangling her legs. "T'was alright," Rachel responded, fixing her frames and taking a seat beside the smaller girl, "They did a simple checkup and ultrasound... Turns out the baby had already been dead."

Ellie's face softened, "Oh, no! Poor thing." Rachel shrugged, "Less stress for me... They also want me to go to therapy, like, the fuck?"

Ellie wrapped her arms around Rachel, squeezing her tightly. "Are you sad the baby's gone?" she asked. "I guess so. I feel kinda bad, but... It's life woulda sucked anyway," Rachel said truthfully.

"Ellie bear, I'm going to work. Be good!" her father called from downstairs. She smiled, "Okay, Love you, Papa!" She waited for the familiar sound of the front door shutting before slamming her lips on Rachel's, resting her hands on Rachel's shoulders.

Rachel melted into the kiss. She gripped onto Ellie's waist, kissing the smaller girl until she couldn't breathe. Ellie separated, catching her breath and smiling. Rachel snickered, "Feisty. Should I be worried?"

-

  Ellie was woken up, wrapped in Rachel's arms and legs. She glanced at the alarm clock on her nightstand, reading eight thirty four.  Ellie glanced over at Rachel whose head was buried into Ellies neck. "Rach, time to get up." Ellie whispered into the sleeping girls ear. Rachel budged her head a little and pulled Ellie a little tighter. "It's too early," Rachel groaned.

    Ellie giggled at the comment, burying her face into the neck of Rachel's long yet tiny body. Rachel's arms remained around the smaller girl's waist as they laid in the comfortable silence, which was soon broken when Rachel started snoring.

  Ellie held back a giggle as she twirled her finger around Rachel's curls. She was in peace.

  That was until the startling shrill of the telephone filled the room. "Ugh," Ellie groaned as she slipped out of Rachel's grasp. "I'll be back," she mumbled, leaving the bedroom.

"Hello?" Ellie's raspy voice sounded to the other line. "H-Hi, Ellie," a familiar voice responded.
"Oh, hey, Billie."
"A-Are y-y-you two busy t-today?"
"No, how come?"
"Me 'n th-the losers a-are gathering a-at the diner for b-breakfast, then g-going to see a m-movie and swim a-at the quarry."

  Ellie's face beamed with excitement, "Yes, we'll be there! That sounds great," she nearly jumped. She could hear Billie giggle. "We'll be ready in twenty."

  The brunette quickly slipped up the stairs and returned to her bedroom, a smile forming from ear to ear. "Rachel~ Get ready." Rachel furrowed her brows, "...Why?"

  "We're gonna get breakfast with the losers, then watch a movie and swim!" Ellie explained excitedly. Rachel groaned in response, 'how does she get so excited over this shit?" she wondered.

-

  Rachel stood by the front door, wearing a navy band shirt, a white long-sleeved undershirt, paired with black ripped jeans. She checked her watch, reading nine. 'what's taking her so long?!' she wondered, tapping her foot.

  Then, as if on que, Ellie trotted down the stairs wearing a pastel pink shirt and light jean overalls. Her cheeks and nose were powdered with blush. Rachel smiled in relief, opening the door for the smaller girl. "Ladies first," she winked.

-

  It was a chilly day in derry, wind blew against the girls as they walked the streets. Rachel glanced to the side, spotting her local gas station. "Uh- Can I get sum' real quick?" she asked. Ellie nodded, staying by the door as Rachel went in.

  "Ay, Rachel," Ellie heard a voice say just before the door slammed shut. She peered through the window, spotting Rachel being handed something by the cashier, and giving money in return.

  The door soon opened again, revealing a grinning Rachel. "What'd you buy," Ellie questioned, brushing her hair out of her face. Rachel pulled out a new pack from her pocket and lit one, making Ellie breathe out a sigh. "Y'know that's bad for you?"

  Rachel shrugged, "I do, but I don't care." Ellie stayed silent as they continued their walk, before suddenly speaking again. "You know... I think therapy actually be good for you." Rachel scoffed, shaking her head.

  Ellie's face softened, "I'm serious, Rach... It's a good idea." Rachel exhaled, smoke pouring out from between her lips, "Well, I'm bad bitch," she joked, when she was actually very close to snapping.

  Ellie placed her hand on Rachel's arm to stop her, but Rachel pulled away, turning to face the girl. "Rach-"

  "No, Ellie, just leave it. It's my body, I can do whatever the fucking hell I want with it." Ellie scoffed as they reached the parking lot of the diner, "You're fucking killing yourself, you know that?!"

  Rachel flicked her cigarette to the side, stomping on it. "Shut up, Ellie. Just, shut up."

  "Guys!" Billie yelled. They were standing at the entrance arguing, unaware that the losers could see them through the glass. "P-Please, stop f-fighting," she pleaded.

  "Michelle's h-here, Rach," she added.
Ellie sighed, putting her cheery persona back on as she entered the diner, Rachel following close behind. The group was crowded in a booth, chattering amongst themselves as the three approached them.

  "M-Michelle," Billie said, "This is R-R-Rachel. Rachel, Mich-Chelle." Michelle stood, as she was on the outer side of the booth and shook Rachel's hand, "Hi, I've heard so much about you!" Rachel smiled, "As to you."

  Michelle, the five foot two dark skinned girl, had her hair put up in a bun. She wore a beige cropped top paired with jean overalls similar to Ellies.

  Her main priority was to be kind to others, as her grandmother kept reminding her to. She moved in with her grandmother after her family died in a fire years ago.

  Rachel and Ellie squeezed into the booth, now sitting across from one another. "We heard y'all were fighting," Bentley stated. Rachel rolled her eyes, "Ellie started it," she said quickly, making the smaller girl's jaw drop.

  "I did not!" she argued. Michelle sat uncomfortably, which soon became visible by the group. "Sorry," Ellie faced the dark skinned girl, "You're prolly confused."

  Michelle shook her head, "No, I know some of it. I jus' don't like when people argue..." The group silenced themselves, waiting for the girl to reveal what she knows. She sighed, "Billie told me earlier that Rachel had to go to the doctor... -And that she's friends with Harley Bowers."

  Rachel shrugged, "Sounds to me like she's got the whole story." Billie rolled her eyes, "Besides y-y-your arms." The table fell silent again, Rachel's eyes widening and locking onto Billie's. Billie quickly slapped her hand over her mouth muttering, "Shit." 

  "...What?" Stacy asked hesitantly. Ellie scoffed. "What," Rachel asked in a more demanding tone. "You know what," Ellie responded. Rachel felt like slapping the brunette across the face, but she knew she couldn't bring herself to do so. She stood up, glaring at her instead.

  "I'm sorry this is your first impression of me," she apologized to Michelle, "I'm gonna excuse myself now. Have fun."
She turned and exited the diner with a frown forming on her lips.