Not Thinkin' Bout You

Chapter 55

PREVIOUSLY: "Not that I've been listening to you muttering to yourself or anything," she added, smiling.

"I'm glad. Now hurry up, I'm not being late again," Ellody decided, smiling back. 

~

"Let's play twenty-one questions. Favourite movie?" Ellody asked. Lucy hesitated before replying.

"Looking for Alibrandi. Or Brave. You?" she answered. Ellody placed her phone gently on the coffee table as her mum walked past, raising her eyebrows. Her mum was obviously confused that Ellody had made a friend that didn't have anything to do with the band, but Lucy was something different.

Sure, Tate and Christina were upstairs with Sienna. But Ellody couldn't bring herself to go sit with Tate and pretend that Jonah hadn't said anything. She couldn't pretend Sienna hadn't hurt her feelings outside Chipotle, even though she was probably right about Zach. Oh well, she still hurt my feelings.

"Ellody? Hello?" Lucy laughed, pretending to knock on her head. Ellody blinked, shuffling uncomfortably in her seat.

"Sorry, do you mind if I go get changed? I'm kinda cold," Ellody said, standing up.

"Yeah, I'll just... wait here," Lucy shrugged. Ellody nodded slowly before walking as fast as possible towards the stairs, practically running towards her room. Without thinking, she pushed her door open and hurried inside, shutting the door behind her and looking up. Sienna, Tate and Christina looked up as she entered, silence draping over them like a curtain. Ellody felt stuck, like she was sinking into the floor.

"I was just... getting... clothes," she muttered, her face becoming hot. She squeezed past the beds, which were sandwiched together, and pushed open her closet. Ellody could feel their eyes on her back as she grabbed Zach's hoodie that she still had from the first time at the airport, and a pair of his sweatpants she'd also stolen from him.

Sienna knows they're his clothes.

She's going to tell them and they're going to talk about how I can't get over my best friend.

Ellody made her way back to the door, and took a deep breath. She was about to say something she'd regret.

"Sienna, I don't appreciate what you said the other day. At Chipotle. Tate, you probably already somehow know this, but Jonah also felt the need to inform me on how terrible it would be if Zach and I were a thing. Christina... sorry you got caught up in all this," Ellody announced, turning around for half a second to catch a glimpse of their faces. Sienna and Christina didn't look surprised, but Tate looked extremely offended.

"How does Jonah's actions reflect on me?" Tate asked, climbing off the bed and folding her arms across her chest.

"Am I wrong in thinking you're together?" Ellody fired back. She wouldn't normally get mad at someone about something they didn't do, but since everyone seemed to be fine with talking about this together, they were all to blame.

"No, you're not. We are together. But that doesn't mean I control everything that comes out of his mouth. This is between you and Jonah, not you and I. Ellody, you need to think about this. We're looking out for you. Not trying to make you upset," Tate lectured angrily, biting her lip to keep from exploding. Ellody sighed, a lump forming in her throat that only Zach could fix. She knew it in her heart that Zach was all she needed right now, but he was the exact opposite of what she could have.

"I don't think you understand," Ellody sighed, leaving the room. It took all her strength to not slam the door. She crossed the hall and locked the bathroom door behind her as tears leaked down her face, pulling off her jeans and sweater she wore to school and staring at herself in the mirror. "Why?" she whispered as the tears became heavier.