Retarded In Love

I sighed heavily and turned to face David. He smiled weakly at me and grabbed my hands that were sitting in my lap. He leaned in slowly and kissed me softly, then got out of the car and walked around to open my door. He laced his fingers with mine as we walked toward the house.

"You know you have to come home, right? You can't be mad at me for bringing you home." He asked softly as we reached the door.

"I'm not mad." I answered. I opened the door and stepped away from David, leaving him on the porch.

I wandered around the bottom floor of the house. No mom. I stood in the kitchen doorway. No mom. I walked back into the living room and saw David sitting on the couch. I smiled weakly at him before walking up the stairs. I just couldn't find my mom! I swore I saw her car in the drive way. I walked back down the stairs quickly, starting to panic. I was going to leave tomorrow, how could she just leave the house!? David was gone from the couch, and I followed the sounds I heard until I reached the kitchen. I saw David and my mother standing there. Aha...

I ran up and flung my arms around my mother, holding her tight. In less than a second, her arms were around me. She was mumbling something against my shoulder, but I didn't understand. We pulled away and I noticed tears in her eyes.

"Ellie, I'm sorry."

"No, mom... It was me. I'm sorry I freaked out. I just really want this!"

"I know, and it was wrong for me to try to take your future from you. I just don't want to lose you, Elanore."

"You won't." I smiled weakly, fighting tears.

+++

A little while later, a few friends showed up. Maria, David, Bam, Dunn, Raab, DiCo, Rake, mom, dad, and I were all lounged around the living room. I had my camera out, snapping quick pictures when the time was right.

It was something I always loved to do. Take pictures. I had photo album upon photo album upon photo album full of the best times of my life. You know what it's like around the Margera household, never a dull moment. See, one of my cousins, Chelsie, got me in the habit of taking pictures. She was quite a bit older than me, which is how I have all the pictures of Bam and I when we were little. When I was 8 years old, Chelsie was killed in a car accident. I decided it was only fair to keep her passion alive and continue what she started...

"Ellie, let's get some group pictures, huh?" Maria asked excitedly, snapping me out of my childhood memories. I nodded slightly and handed the camera to her.

"Ell, Dave... " Maria faced us, still smiling brightly. David pulled me closer to him, and smiled. "1-2...3..." The camera clicked and David kissed my cheek gently before Bam jumped into David's lap.

"My turn!" Bam exclaimed as David wriggled out from under him. Bam threw his arm around my shoulder and made one of his infamous faces, and I couldn't help but laugh. The camera clicked. And we moved on.

After everyone was photographed at least twice, it was somewhat late. People started hugging whoever they could find. David grabbed my hand and tugged me away from the crowd, and out the door. We stopped in front of his car.

"Ellie..." He looked down at me and I watched as tears filled his eyes. "Ellie, I love you." He pulled me into a tight hug as tears escaped from my eyes silently and sank into his shirt. We pulled away. "I can't be here when you leave tomorrow, I have to work, but call me when the plane lands, ok?"

I nodded as he leaned down and kissed me one last time, quickly, silently, before climbing in his car and leaving.

I could still hear the laughter and noise coming from inside. Happy noise. But I wasn't happy...