The Perfect Words Never Crossed My Mind

She sighed and prayed it wasn’t the person she was thinking of.

“It’s funny that this is the second time we’ve met like this,” she looked up and saw Sidney. She wasn’t up for another argument, so Eloise decided that she was going to retreat to her room before something else happened. She smiled and started to walk away when he said something else.

“And it’s funny how you always walk away from me.” Eloise stopped dead in her tracks. She felt herself starting to tear up. She didn’t want anyone else to notice that she was about to start crying so she started walking again. She put her hand on the door handle to her room and started to turn when she looked behind her to see no one else in the hallway.

She went inside her room and sat on her bed. She felt the tears run down her face, she wiped them away. She had cried more times in Pittsburgh than she had for the past six years. The music was loud and more people were there. She couldn’t handle it, so she grabbed a book and her hoodie and out of the apartment and up to her little garden. After reading her book for a bit, she decided to do a little more to her garden.

She heard someone come up the stairs to find a smiling face with thick brown hair staring at her.

“Why do I always find you looking distressed? I don’t like it. I’m pretty sure a beautiful girl like you has a beautiful smile. In fact, I think I’ve even seen it,” Max started to poke Eloise and she started laughing. “Ah, there it is. What are you doing up here? There’s a party down there with alcohol and I’d like it if you were down there with us.”

“And by us, do you mean Sidney?” Max knew he had been caught. He knew Eloise wasn’t an idiot, but he was still trying to get them back together.

“Well, maybe. But why are you avoiding him? You’re being a coward.”

“I don’t care, I’m sick of what happens every time I encounter him. There’s always something that makes me cry. And quite frankly, I’m sick of it. And that is the reason I’m up here.”

Max sighed. He knew she wasn’t going to budge and he felt uncomfortable leaving her there by herself. Even though he had only known her for about a week, he was growing closer and was finding her to be a good friend. So the only logical thing he could think of doing was staying there and talking with her.

“Well if you’re going to insist on staying up here, I might as well too.”

Eloise immediately felt bad, he should be downstairs having fun instead of up there with her as she sulked.

“No, Max, go downstairs. You’re here to have fun and trust me, I’m no fun.”

“Well the only way I’m going downstairs is if you come with me, I’m not leaving you up here alone and that is that. I also know that you won’t come down with me so this is my only option.”

“That’s not true, going downstairs is an option as well.”

“Nope, not an option unless you come with.”

“You’re very persistent aren’t you?”

“You bet, how the hell do you think I get all the ladies,” he winked and she laughed again.

“No, you drug them, that’s definitely how you get the ladies.”

“Now I’m just offended Ms. Smith. I thought you were supposed to be my friend,” he put his hands over his eyes and pretended to cry. Eloise gave him a smile when he uncovered one eye and said, “Is my crying enough for you to come downstairs with me? I’ve been hurt so much. I think I need a beer.”

She sighed and said, “Fine, but if I run into Sidney you’re going to get hurt. Got it?”

He jumped up and down and clapped his hands together. She gave him a weird look and called him a sissy. He mocked a frown, “Well fine. If that’s how it’s going to be then we’re no longer friends.” He huffed and she gave a slight chuckle.

“Whatever drama queen, let’s go.” Max just put his hand on the small of her back and she led them back downstairs. When they arrived back inside the apartment, her eyes couldn’t believe what she had seen… the apartment was packed with people celebrating the win tonight. She figured that there would be no way she could ever find Liz or Amanda, along with Sidney.

“So do you want to stay down here, go back upstairs, or what?” Max asked.

“Oh, you don’t have to stay with me. I’ll be fine by myself. You go have some fun,” Eloise noticed him looking at a tall, brunette with long legs. But as Max heard her say that he realized that he was concerned that if he let her go by herself that something would happen so he decided to stay with her until some people had left.

“No, I’ll be fine. Where do you want to go?” For some reason, Max couldn’t take his eyes off of the girl and Eloise knew that. She noticed them making eye contact and smiling.

“No where with you, you’re practically all over that girl without actually being all over her. Now go talk to her, I’ll be fine. I’m just going to go back to my room,” she gave Max a slight push toward the girl and he looked back at Eloise and mouthed “thank you” she laughed it off and told him “you’re welcome.”

Eloise still didn’t see Amanda or Liz anywhere so she just shrugged and went to her room. She was about to change her clothes and get into bed when she heard a knock on her door.