That Girl

The next morning I awoke in an unfamiliar bed, looking around I made out the still sleeping figures of my mum and twin brother, we must have all fell asleep when we came up stairs to watch more movies. Yesterday was without a doubt the happiest day of my life. We ate way too much sweets, then ate too much pizza, we watched so many movies my eyes are actually still a bit sore this morning and we all bickered and chatted about the silliest stuff all cuddled on the sofa. I don’t think I have ever been as happy in my entire life. I stretch as carefully as I can so I don’t wake anyone up and look over to the clock on the bedside table, 08:58am. I smile to myself because yet again I have absolutely no school today, my mum gave in and decided to let Jack and I have the rest of the week off even though she has to go back to work today. Jack’s trailing me out today to god only knows where then we’re meeting my mum for dinner, then Jack’s friends are coming over later on. I’m a little sceptical about that though, Jack’s friends and I don’t exactly get on with each other but I couldn’t bring myself to tell Jack I didn’t want to hang out with them. I’m thinking of inviting Emma over, but am I ready to let a potential real friend in as well as my family? Was I ready to put my trust in yet another person? I wasn’t sure, maybe I’ll see how it goes tonight with ‘the guys’ and take it from there.

Raising myself up I crawl off the bed as carefully as I can and make my way to my room to grab some clothes, I know Jack won’t be awake until at least twelve but I really need a shower so I might as well just get ready now. I grab a pair of skinny jeans a baggy glamour kills hoodie and sneak into Jacks room to steal one of his band tees. I decide on a Boys Like Girls one as they are in fact one of my favourite bands, although I’d never tell any of my ‘friends’ in school that, they’d think I was a hippy like Jack. I smiled to myself, I was going to be completely ‘dethroned’ as Queen B and I couldn’t wait. I knew Emma wouldn’t stop talking to me though, she was the only kind of real friend I had. I just needed to trust her and let her in a little more, which I am planning on doing, honest.

I go into the bathroom and take a nice relaxing shower, get dressed and go back to my room to dry my hair. When I finally finish drying my long dark brown, almost black hair I don’t bother straightening it, instead just letting it fall in waves. I check the time and realise it’s 9:50am, my mum has to get up and leave for work soon so I get up and make my way down to the kitchen. I quickly make a few rounds of toast and a cup of coffee and make my way up to my mums room where I can hear her turning the alarm clock off.

I walk in to find Jack has stretched himself out over the space I had occupied an hour ago and is completely out for the count as predicted, my mum sits up and smiles at me a I walk over and hand her the breakfast and coffee I made for her. Sitting down beside her she gives me a one armed hug and kisses my temple.

“Good morning sweetheart, and thank you for breakfast,” she smiles.

I just smile back and crawl back under the covers to get comfortable rolling Jack out of the way slightly. My mum and I chat for a little while before she gets up to get ready and heads off to work telling me to make sure Jack and I behave. Turning the television on I snuggle down in the blankets closer to Jack and watch morning cartoons. At around quarter to twelve Jack finally begins to wake up and by ten past twelve we’ve began a full on pillow war!

That day Jack and I spent our time in our favourite place as kids, the diner by the peer called ‘Soda Joe’s’. This is where we always had our birthday parties, celebrations and even bereavements (when our pet hamster squibbles died). I hadn’t been to that place in years and it hadn’t changed a bit, the old waitress even remembered us and gave us two double chocolate and raspberry milkshakes on the house insisting we must come in regularly again. Jack and I talked about everything, I told him all about how I felt and why I acted the way I did, I also told him I wrote songs which I had never told anyone before. Jack told me how much he missed me and how one time he was so close to giving up but his best friend Alex stopped him and told him to keep trying with me, so why was Alex so caring towards me, even when I wasn’t around? I had no idea. He also told me all about his band All Time Low and how he really thinks they could be something, from what I heard of Jack playing guitar in the house, he was fantastic. Of course I had never told him this before as I normally told him to ‘fuck up’ but it felt so good telling him what I really thought of his playing, I don’t think I had ever seen him so happy, then again I had never been so happy either. It was now half six and Jack and I were watching ‘Dumb and Dumber’ waiting for :the guys’ to come over. I wasn’t looking forward to this, Zack and Rian had always been as horrible to me as I was to them, which yes, was extremely horrible and malicious at times. As for Alex, well I was always a nasty bitch to him yet he was always scarily nice to me, maybe it wouldn’t be too bad talking to him? Oh I don’t know, I’m so nervous!

“Anyone hooooooooooooome?,” came Rians loud voice from the door.

“IN HERE!,” Jack screamed back. I inhaled deeply and waited for what was sure to be the most awkward night of my life.

Suddenly three over excited looking teenage boys burst through the living room and door and marched straight over to me. What the hell? Where they here to kill me or something? I was completely taken off guard when they all piled on me and squashed me into a group hug.

“So nice to have the real Ella Bella in da house!,” Rian said happily getting off of me.

“Now you can be our girl-dude,” Zack smiled also releasing me so I could now breath normally again.

“Yes, you’re our dudette!,” Alex cheesed removing his wait from me and sitting back on the couch casually letting one of his arms rest over the arm of the couch behind me. I smiled at them all unable to form any type of coherent words at how incredible each of them are.

“Dudes quit smothering my sis!” Jack whined. Everyone laughed and we all began to chat to each other as though the past nine years had never happened, well the past six years for Alex as he wasn’t around back when I was a kid. Rian and Zack were so I guess I kind of abandoned them too. We stayed chatting for hours whilst my mum came in and blushing whenever Alex cockily flirted with her, I know he’s miles too young for her and she knows that too but I honestly don’t blame her for blushing, the boy was positively charming. Anytime he spoke to me I felt my heart speed up, I had never felt this way over a boy before, I never normally have any feelings for guys but he was something else. I just wanted to get to know him, I wanted to know everything about him and more. What was I thinking? Oh god, I had totally zoned out, stupid thoughts! When I decided to zone back in I realised everybody had fallen asleep, everyone but myself and Alex.

“Earth to Ella” Alex laughed showing off his perfect crooked smile. My heart fluttered. Fluttered? Really Ella? Stop being so god damn girly, you’re more of a guy than your brother, start acting like it! Quick do something boyish so he doesn’t think I like him!

Without thinking I let out a loud burp and instantly regretted it making my cheeks flare red. Alex burst out laughing and held his hand up the air waiting for a high five. Mentally slapping myself I high fived him and mumbled an incoherent apology.

“Damn that was good! I have never seen a girl burb in front of me before,” he ranted. Well of course he hasn’t, most girls are a lot more sensible when they’re around boys as attractive as Alex.

“Sorry about that” I half laughed.

“Don’t apologise! Its without a doubt the coolest thing a girl has ever did in my presence,” Alex stated proudly. I smiled back at him genuinely this time changing from humiliated to proud in all of half a second. We began making easy conversation and laughing at the randomest things when I realised this was my chance to ask him why he told Jack not to give up on me.

“Alex, can I ask you something?,” I said a little nervously.

“Anything,” Alex smiled reassuringly looking me straight in the eyes.

“Well, when I was a bitch,” I started stuttering a bit before taking a deep breath “well you were always so nice to me, in fact I don’t think you ever said a harsh word in defence when I was hurling abuse at you, you saw how I treated Jack, your friends, even you yet you never once acted as though you hated me and then Jack told me you told him not to give up on me, why?,” I asked my eyes tearing up as I remembered just how horrible I had been to such incredible people all because I was too selfish. I looked up to see Alex just smiling at me.

“What? Why are you smiling at me Alex?” I asked confused.

“Because you acted like this cynical aggressive bitch shouting your mouth off at anyone who tried to get close to you, you hung around with the biggest assholes in the school yet you told them all to wise up when they wanted to hit someone less popular than them, you did it in the most subtle ways but I know I’d have been hit a few times if it hadn’t been for you telling those assholes not to touch us ‘dirty hippy scum’ in case they caught something,” Alex laughed. What was he laughing for? I was such a bitch and he obviously knew it.

“But everything you just said about me is absolutely horrible!,” I stuttered through tears that were now pouring from my eyes “you knew I was a bitch so why tell Jack to keep trying?,” I asked hysterically.

I felt the weight on the couch shift and before I knew what was happening I was enclosed in somebody’s protective arms, I began to cry even harder onto his red chequered shirt and he held me tighter as he began stroking my hair.

“I didn’t hate you because I saw right through you, I knew it was all a front, and I knew you’d realise you can actually trust again one day,” Alex said as he spoke into my hair.

I looked up at him, staring directly into his beautiful brown eyes and knew in that one moment I was going to trust this boy with my life. I had never met anyone like him before and I knew there was just so much I wanted to ask him but that would have to wait for another night because right now all I could think of whilst we locked eyes was how much I wanted him to kiss me, and that’s a feeling I’d never had before.