She's so Bright

It seemed lately that all I was doing these days was going over to the Nickelsen's house. However, this time did not involve Ellarie. It involved me picking up Garrett's lazy ass and driving him to a party. But if I just so happened to run into Ellarie, well, lets just say it wouldn't be the worst thing to ever happen.

Honestly, even though she rejected me just a few days back, I still was determined as ever to get her to go out with me. Call it cliche, but I liked the chase. I liked when girls didn't just fall into my lap all googly eyed and love -struck. Because half of the time, those relationships never lasted.

My eyes strayed from the road momentarily as I stared at the beautiful Arizona landscape that was rushing past me. It was a warm enough evening that I had taken the roof and doors off my Jeep. The warm spring wind whipping against my skin had a calming effect and I felt oddly at ease. The sun was nearly ready to start setting, casting red and orange hues throughout the sky, almost making it look ablaze. The mountains out in the far distance were cast in shadow making them nondescript. The occasional cactus or Foothill tree would pop up into view. It was a beautiful night in an even more beautiful place.

I turned my music up as loud as it would go and sang along without a care to the song that was playing.

☼ ☼ ☼

Back to my usual routine, I walked right into the Nickelsen house without thinking twice.

"Garrett," I called throughout the house as I bounded up the steps. "Your chariot awaits!"

"Coming!" Garrett called back from his bedroom.

We nearly ran into each other in the hallway.

"Damn," I cursed, stopping myself a few inches to close to Garrett dressed in a loose gray t-shirt, black, tight jeans and a pair of black boots. "I wouldn't mind nearly having a head-on collision with you if you were the other Nickelsen."

"You mean Trey?" Garrett chuckled. "Didn't know you swung that way, O'Callaghan."

"Ha-ha, very funny," I narrowed my hazel eyes at him. "You know who I meant."

"Yeah, I did, pervert."

"Speaking of, where is the lovely Ellarie this evening? Think she'd be up for a party?" I questioned.

"She's in her room and no, I do not think she'd be up for a party. Not now, not tomorrow, not ever," Garrett replied dryly. "You see, she has this little thing called social anxiety that prevents her from partaking in social outings such a parties. In case you forgot."

"I didn't forget, I just think it'd be nice to invite her. Treat her like a normal person," I countered.

"She'll say no, trust me. Just like I told you she'd say no if you asked her out and look how that turned out." He clearly found amusement in my rejection.

"Where's she at?"

"Uhm, in her room, why...?" His look of amusement melted into one of confusion and skepticism.

"I'm gonna ask her if she wants to come." Hadn't I just said that? "Where's her room at?"

"Don't waste your time, John," he sighed as he ran a hand through his russet hair.

"Just tell me where her room is," I pressed.

"Ugh, fine, it's in the attic."

"The attic?" I was mildly in disbelief. "What the hell man? That's a little creepy if you ask me. Keeping your secret cousin with a mental condition locked up in the attic."

He rolled his blue, but sometime green, eyes. "We don't keep her locked in the attic. If anything, she's the one who locks herself in there. Regardless, the door to the steps is at the end of the hall. Make it quick." With that he sauntered back to his room.

I walked down the Nickelsen's hallway, severely conscious of the noise my cowboy boots made clicking against the dark wood flooring. I felt a tiny spurt of butterflies flare up in my stomach with each further step. I hated this stupid feeling Ellarie gave me. It wasn't like me to get nervous around girls. Girls were just people. People just like me and Garrett and Kennedy and my mom and the rest of everyone I knew. But Ellarie... She wasn't just a person, she was something else. And I hadn't determined yet if that was a good or bad thing.

Before I knew it, I had arrived at the door that allegedly led to the attic steps. I'd never bothered seeing what was behind this door before. I always just figured it was a closet or something of the sort. I slowly opened the door and walked up the carpeted steps.

I stopped momentarily when I had reached Ellarie's door. Was I ready to again face the rejection that was sure to come? Would this further things between us or hinder them? I didn't want her to think I was annoying, yet I wanted to show her how interested I was. God, everything about this situation was messy and confusing.

Ignoring all my doubts, I knocked on the door.

I waited patiently for some type of response.

Nothing.

I heard movement on the other side of the door. Ha! So she was in there. Although that wasn't necessarily a good thing because that meant she was avoiding me.

"Ellarie?" I knocked again. "It's me, John, uhm, from the other day. Garrett's best friend. I asked you out." Stupid. John that was stupid.

Still nothing. I decided to try again. "I know you're in there, El. Just open the door."

Not so surprisingly, she didn't open the door.

"I just wanted to invite you to this party me and Gare and the rest of the guys are going to."

My heart ached a little, picturing her sitting on her bed, her dark hair curling in loose waves down her back, her big, emerald eyes wide in nervous excitement, her hands anxiously toying around with her comforter. Damn she was adorable. Even if I couldn't see her.

"Garrett said you'd say no, but I told him it was worth a shot... But I guess not."

Suddenly an idea popped into my head. I bounded down the stairs and into Garrett's room.

"Pen. Paper," I demanded, sticking my hands out towards him.

"What?" He was clearly befuddled.

"Just give me a damn piece of paper and a damn pen." I didn't understand how I could be more clear.

Confused look still on his face, Garrett rummaged through his desk and handed me the requested items.

I scribbled down my message and threw the pen at him when I was done. "Thanks."

"That was my eye, you ass!" Garrett shouted after me as I walked back down the hallway and up the steps.

Once at the door, I slid the note under it, knowing it was the best way to reach Ellarie.

"Well Garrett and I are going now, I hope I'll see you some time or another," I announced and walked back to Garrett's room.

"Alright, I'm ready to go party." I nodded my head towards the door, signifying my eagerness to leave.

"Me too.," Garrett snatched up his phone and keys. "Maybe getting drunk will help this headache you caused by throwing a pen in my fucking eye to go away."

"Alcohol works wonders," I laughed and followed him outside.

In the car, I light up a cigarette and Garrett put on some shitty radio station. "So what did you write on that note?"

"I knew you were just dying to find out," I chuckled. Garrett may have been a little socially awkward and shy but he was one nosy bastard.

"That doesn't seem to be the answer to my question."

"Fine," I took a drag. I blew the smoke out the side of the car and watched as the wind carried it away. "I asked her out on a date and gave her my number."

"Of course you did," Garrett scowled.

"Hey, you're the one who asked, don't get pissy with me, Nosy."

"How about this?" Garrett calmed. "No mention of my cousin tonight. Not a single sentence or a word or anything. Nothing about Ellarie. Just like how it used to be."

"I can do that," I appeased. He did make a good point. Our most recent conversations did revolve around his cousin and I could imagine just how irksome that was. "Just a typical night out with the guys getting wasted and getting babes."

"Exactly." Garrett smiled.

We pulled up to Jared's house several minutes after. The house looked like the stereotypical party scene. Cars lined the street, a few parked in the yard, music could be heard playing from outside and people could be spotted inside. However it didn't reek of booze or weed, rather, cigarettes and pizza. Two of my favorite things.

"Kennedy texted me and said they were in the backyard and that Pat already threw up," Garrett informed me as we walked into the house.

I chuckled, my eyes scanning the room. "We always miss the good stuff."

"You're fault we're late."

"Hey, I thought there was to be no mention of you-know-who," I shot back.

"My bad, you're right," he admitted.

"Hey O'Callaghan, nice ass!" I heard being shouted over the music.

I whipped my head in the direction of the voice but it was a little too late because a pair of lips crashed onto mine.

The owner of the amazing lips ended the kiss and gave my ass a quick squeeze. "Even feels nice too."

"Well it's nice to see you too, Molly," I greeted the gorgeous blonde in front of me.

"The pleasure is always mine," she winked and put her lips back on mine.