She's so Bright

Garrett and Ellarie’s heads both whipped in my direction upon my unexpected reappearance.

Garrett’s face held a typical look of surprise, whereas Ellarie looked as although she’d been caught trying to steal the world’s largest diamond—I must admit it was a precious look on her. Immediately, she crossed her arms over her chest as if she were trying to hide something and looked down at the bed she was sitting on. I was almost surprised she didn’t roll off the bed and try to hide on the other side.

Taking my attention off of Ellarie, Garrett asked, “What’re you doing here? I thought you left.”

“I left my phone,” I explained, pointing to it sitting on his nightstand.

I would’ve walked over and grabbed it myself, but Ellarie was sitting so close to it, I decided I would just let Garrett get it for me as to not make her even more uncomfortable. Another possible reason may have been the fact that I wasn’t too sure I’d be able to handle the temptation of being that close to her.

“Oh,” Garrett said. I could tell he was almost as embarrassed as Ellarie was. He made his way over to his nightstand and grabbed my phone.

I decided now was as good as any to be brave. “So Ellarie, word on the street is you have a little crush on me.”

Ellarie’s gaze flew to me, her gorgeous face portraying a look of confusion and upset. “Word on the street?”

I almost fell over. And I'm not kidding. That was the last thing I expected to happen. I had thought saying that would only make her clam up even more, not talk. To me. And with such fire in her voice, as well.

Her voice was everything I imagined it to be. It matched perfectly to her soft features and pale, delicate skin. It reminded me of rain falling on flowers during a mid-July rainstorm. Dreamy, placid, elegant. I knew it would be something to haunt me for the rest of my days. Something I could write a dozen songs about.

My body ached just to hear her glorious voice speak my name.

Oh, how it ached.

“Well, so I’ve heard,” I awkwardly rubbed the back of my neck.

“You shouldn’t believe everything you hear,” she retorted but still wouldn’t make direct eye contact with me.

I chuckled. “So you’re saying you don’t have a crush on me then?”

“I’m not saying anything,” her reserved, shy demeanor had returned.

“So what would you say if I asked you out for dinner this Friday?” I didn’t think it possible, but I had summoned even more bravery than I had earlier.

Ellarie blanched and Garrett’s mouth hung agape.

I don’t know why Garrett looked so shocked. I had told him earlier that I was going to ask Ellarie out.

“Happy now?” Garrett asked after finishing telling me Ellarie’s life story.

“Damn,” it was all I could think to say. I mean, I had never heard a story quite like that. A story that was true. It was all so much. I didn’t know how to respond.

“Yeah, I figured you’d say that,” Garrett chuckled. “But John, I want you to know, El isn’t some weirdo, or anything like that. She’s actually a pretty normal person. In fact, I’m sure if you got to actually know her, you’d love her. She’s funny and she’s deep and insightful and probably the sweetest person I’ve ever met. It just really kills me that such an amazing person like El has to go through all that stuff.”

“Garrett, I should probably tell you something.”

“Alright, go on.”

“Well,” I started, absently fingering the calluses on my fingers. “The reason I wanted to know so badly about Ellarie wasn’t just because you failed to tell me about her…”

“Then what was?” he pressed on.

“I… well, I, uh, kind of like her,” I admitted, avoiding Garrett’s threatening stare.

“What?” he didn’t sound angry, to tell you the truth. He sounded shocked. As if that were the last thing he expected to come out of my mouth. “How can you even say that, John? You don’t even know her! You haven’t even had a conversation! How can you like someone you’ve never even talked to?”

“I don’t know, Gare. I can't explain it!” I defended, no longer feeling embarrassed. “All I know is, ever since I saw her the other day, I can't get her off my mind. She’s all I think about! It’s weird and annoying and kind of creepy.”

“You can't stop thinking about her?” Garrett asked, his jaw clenched. “I swear to God, John O’Callaghan if you have been having dirty—”

“Oh God, no!” I quickly interjected. “I haven’t been having sexual fantasies about your sister, Garrett! I just can't get her off my mind. But not in any sexual way.” That wasn’t true. I had thought sexually about her, I’ll admit. But probably not as bad or as often as Garrett thought.

“She’s only 19,” Garrett informed me, as if it would suddenly make all thoughts of Ellarie stop forever.

“Oh.” I smirked to myself and raised a seductive eyebrow. “Then that means she’s legal.”

“Jesus Christ, John.” Garrett punched me in the shoulder.

“I’m just kidding,” I told him and gave him a pat on his shoulder opposite the one he punched me in.

“You had better be.”

“Anyway,” I sobered up. “I’m being serious, Garrett. I like her. And, I wanna ask her out.”

“You do realize she’ll just say no, right?” So he wasn’t exactly opposed to the idea.

“And if she does, I’ll just keep asking,” I explained. “I’ll keep asking till she says yes because I’m a stubborn-ass.”

“I know that much is true,” Garrett laughed. “But John, dating Ellarie isn’t just dating Ellarie.”

“What do you mean?”

“There’s a lot more to it than that. She’s not your average, everyday girl. You can't treat her like everyone else. She’s fragile and sensitive and has pretty severe mental issues. There’s a lot of baggage that comes along with her.”

“I think I could handle it,” I tried to convince him. “I want to help her. Haven’t you ever felt that way? Even if it wasn’t about Ellarie. Have you ever seen someone, facing horrible, unfortunate circumstances that they have no control over, and knew you could help them, and just ached to help them, even if you knew it’d be difficult? Eh, maybe not. But I have. That’s how I feel about Ellarie. I want to make a difference in someone’s life, Gare.”

“Ugh,” Garrett raked his hands through his russet hair, his uncertainty clearly apparent on his face. “Why can't you go make a difference in someone else’s life? Why’s it gotta be my cousin?”

“I think there’s a reason that I was the first out of, well, anyone, to meet her. I think it happened on purpose because I was meant to help her. It’s fate, Garrett. You believe in fate, don’t you? Okay, maybe I don’t even believe in fate. Whatever. All I know is there was a reason I met Ellarie first. And there’s a reason I feel like way about her. Please, Garrett. I’ll probably ask her out regardless of what you say, but I’d like to know you’re okay with it.”

He inhaled a long breath and held it. I assumed he was pondering over everything I had just said to him. Or perhaps he was trying to restrain himself from punching me in the face.

He exhaled and gave me his answer. “Fine, John. You can ask her out. Try to help her, whatever. But I need to know everything. There’s gotta be no secrets, understand?”

I felt like Garrett had suddenly turned into my dad, John Cornelius O’Callaghan the fourth, and I had morphed back into 13 year-old me who was asking permission to go on his first solo date.

“Sir, yes, sir,” I saluted him, being a typical smartass.

“And if you hurt her,” he shook his head. “Let’s just say, it’ll be the last thing you do.”

I guess Garrett hadn’t planned on me asking out Ellarie so soon. And to be honest, neither had I. But the opportunity was right in right of me and there was no way in hell I was going to not take advantage of it.

Ellarie still hadn’t said anything.

“Should I take that as a, I’m too stunned and overwhelmed by your god-like, manly presence to speak, but sure! Pick me up at seven, or a, no way in hell am I going out with your Jeep-driving, ten-pack-a-day-smoking, lanky ass?” I said, trying to throw in some humor in hopes of earning a response.

“I…” Ellarie started but her voice trailed off.

“You..?” I mimicked when she didn’t continue.

“The second one,” she mumbled and sprung off the bed and slipped past me to get out the door.

She wouldn’t even look at me.

“I hate to say ‘I told you so’,” Garrett snickered, placing my phone in my hand.

“I hate to say ‘shut the fuck up.” I gave him the middle finger and stormed out of the house.