Stuck in the Middle
Chapter Three.
Elaine woke up with the sun beating down on her face through the tall old-fashioned curtains. She could smell the glorious smell of bacon cooking in the kitchen, and she could hear the laughter of two mothers who needed nothing but time to catch up.
She opened her big, blue eyes and set her line of vision on Jeremy, who was sitting upright on his bed. The bed she had fallen asleep in the previous night after they had made amends.
She sat up and rested her chin on his shoulder, and glanced down at the picture he was looking at. It was Avery's graduation picture. Her long, blonde hair cascaded over her left shoulder and her dazzling smile radiated in the sun. She was stunning.
Jeremy looked up at her, "Good morning." He smiled at her.
Elaine kept her eyes focused on the picture, "She was one of the most beautiful girls I've ever met. Just a simple smile and she could have anyone melted in a pool right in front of her feet. The funny thing is she didn't even know that. She had always looked at the floor if you ever complimented her."
"Yeah, she was one of the most beautiful girls I've ever met, besides you of course. In my mind, you both are the prettiest girls I've ever seen." Jeremy smiled at Elaine.
Elaine snorted, "Yeah, good joke." She hopped off the bed, starting to walk out of the room, but she was stopped by someone pulling her arm.
"You don't honestly think I'm joking do you?" Jeremy asked her seriously, looking in her eyes.
She looked at the ground, but he pulled her chin up so that her eyes met his again. She started to speak, "You obviously are. How could someone call me beautiful? I'm the one who never had a boyfriend or even a date to a school dance, I'm the one who never has gotten invited to any school parties, I'm the outcast at school, the weird girl, I'm the girl who falls hard for someone, but doesn't say anything because they always find someone better. So please, just don't call me that okay? Not even as a joke."
She tried to pull away again, but Jeremy kept her where she was. He took a second to comprehend what she just had said as a tear rolled down his cheek. "Laine, I don't care what the world thinks. Who the Hell cares? Why didn't you ever tell me any of this? I didn't know you were an outcast, I would have went with you to a school dance, and you have never told me you liked anyone. I think you're beautiful, don't listen to them. I've grown up with you and you've always been there when I've needed you. You're my best friend."
"And that's all I've ever be." Whispered Elaine, finally loosing her grip and running to her room, closing the door as face as she can.
She slid down to the floor, finally letting the sobs come out. She had just laid her entire heart out on the line. All was said and done, and nothing would ever be the same again.
-------
Two hours later, Elaine gets dressed and finally decides to brace the day. She grabs her towel, her Ipod and a book and comes out of her room.
As soon as she gets down the stairs Jeremy is right there waiting, "Elai-"
"Don't want to talk about it." She says, shoving an ear bud in her ear, not making eye contact with him.
She hears him mumble, "Fine, but I'm coming with you."
She walks down the street and kicks off her flip flops as she gets to the sandy beach, she goes to pick them up when she's lifted into the air.
Jeremy starts to run down the beach with her flailing in his arms. She screams, "Jeremy, but me down now. Or I'll-I'll..."
He lays her down in the sand looking into her eyes, "You'll what?" He laughs.
She couldn't help but wish this is how it was. She wishes he could be hers to flirt with and hers to hold.
The smile faded from her lips as she rolled over, what was she thinking? In every thought that had just went through her brain, she was betraying Avery.
She was right, nothing would ever be the same.
She opened her big, blue eyes and set her line of vision on Jeremy, who was sitting upright on his bed. The bed she had fallen asleep in the previous night after they had made amends.
She sat up and rested her chin on his shoulder, and glanced down at the picture he was looking at. It was Avery's graduation picture. Her long, blonde hair cascaded over her left shoulder and her dazzling smile radiated in the sun. She was stunning.
Jeremy looked up at her, "Good morning." He smiled at her.
Elaine kept her eyes focused on the picture, "She was one of the most beautiful girls I've ever met. Just a simple smile and she could have anyone melted in a pool right in front of her feet. The funny thing is she didn't even know that. She had always looked at the floor if you ever complimented her."
"Yeah, she was one of the most beautiful girls I've ever met, besides you of course. In my mind, you both are the prettiest girls I've ever seen." Jeremy smiled at Elaine.
Elaine snorted, "Yeah, good joke." She hopped off the bed, starting to walk out of the room, but she was stopped by someone pulling her arm.
"You don't honestly think I'm joking do you?" Jeremy asked her seriously, looking in her eyes.
She looked at the ground, but he pulled her chin up so that her eyes met his again. She started to speak, "You obviously are. How could someone call me beautiful? I'm the one who never had a boyfriend or even a date to a school dance, I'm the one who never has gotten invited to any school parties, I'm the outcast at school, the weird girl, I'm the girl who falls hard for someone, but doesn't say anything because they always find someone better. So please, just don't call me that okay? Not even as a joke."
She tried to pull away again, but Jeremy kept her where she was. He took a second to comprehend what she just had said as a tear rolled down his cheek. "Laine, I don't care what the world thinks. Who the Hell cares? Why didn't you ever tell me any of this? I didn't know you were an outcast, I would have went with you to a school dance, and you have never told me you liked anyone. I think you're beautiful, don't listen to them. I've grown up with you and you've always been there when I've needed you. You're my best friend."
"And that's all I've ever be." Whispered Elaine, finally loosing her grip and running to her room, closing the door as face as she can.
She slid down to the floor, finally letting the sobs come out. She had just laid her entire heart out on the line. All was said and done, and nothing would ever be the same again.
-------
Two hours later, Elaine gets dressed and finally decides to brace the day. She grabs her towel, her Ipod and a book and comes out of her room.
As soon as she gets down the stairs Jeremy is right there waiting, "Elai-"
"Don't want to talk about it." She says, shoving an ear bud in her ear, not making eye contact with him.
She hears him mumble, "Fine, but I'm coming with you."
She walks down the street and kicks off her flip flops as she gets to the sandy beach, she goes to pick them up when she's lifted into the air.
Jeremy starts to run down the beach with her flailing in his arms. She screams, "Jeremy, but me down now. Or I'll-I'll..."
He lays her down in the sand looking into her eyes, "You'll what?" He laughs.
She couldn't help but wish this is how it was. She wishes he could be hers to flirt with and hers to hold.
The smile faded from her lips as she rolled over, what was she thinking? In every thought that had just went through her brain, she was betraying Avery.
She was right, nothing would ever be the same.
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