Dear Whoever.

Eleanor sat on a deck chair in the garden, every now and then taking sips of the cool coke she had in her hand. The Brocks were having a BBQ, she’d helped her Auntie set out the chairs and get all the steaks etc ready 2 hours before and now was sat by herself.

Annie and Byron, her other cousins, had their own friends round so she really had no one until Ken came back from picking all of his friends up. Seeing as they were more her age she figured she’d be spending most of the day with them.

She let the sun kiss her short clad legs, she closed her eyes before tying her flannel top into a bow at the bottom so her stomach could get some sun. Scuffing her pink vans across the grass she let out a content sigh, she could hear the bustle of everyone, mostly laughter, she could smell the burgers cooking, her younger cousins running around playing tig.

“Well hello there.” El heard and she opened her eyes to find Garrett sat on the chair next to her. She let a smile grace her lips and she said a small hello.

“You ready to meet everyone else then?” he asked, now focusing on her, taking in how her red locks shined even more from the sun, how her legs were perfectly sun kissed and how she would aimlessly run a hand up and down her thigh once in a while.

El cocked her head to the side noticing Garrett had a bat man top on and she smiled a little, she also noticed how he was wearing skinny jeans, again. How did this boy survive?

“GARE BARE. WHO IS THIS YOUNG LADY?” a small boy with ear length hair bounded towards Garrett, taking a seat on his knee and flashing a grin and El.

“I’m El.” she smiled, sticking her hand out towards the boy. “And you are?”

“I’m Patrick, Pat, Pattycakes!” he grinned as he took the girls hand.

“Oh hello, we meet again Eleanor.” a raspy voice, which could belong to none other than John made El snap her head up towards where the boy was stood, blocking her sun.

“Unfortunately for me.” she mumbled, rolling her eyes.

“Are you trying to hit on Ken’s cousin again O’Callaghan?” a voice spoke, making El laugh.

In front of her stood a boy with ginger hair, a smile on his face as he patted John’s shoulder, shaking his head. “Jared Monaco. You must be Eleanor?”

The girl smiled, nodding her head. “El.”

“Actually.” John started as he shrugged Jared’s arm from him. “I came to say sorry to her, you know apologize for being a douche.”

“John O’Callaghan, apologizing, for hitting on a girl, that’s the first isn’t it?” Kennedy joked as he sat on the floor in front of Eleanor, shooting her a wink. “Rachel is just talking to my Mom Gare, she’ll be over here in a sec.”

Garrett had almost forgot his girlfriend was coming today, heck, he’d wished she wasn’t. Rachel had a tendency of getting jealous whenever Garrett so much looked at a girl let alone spoke. Looks like speaking to El today was out of the picture.

“Who’s Rac-“ El spoke, clearly confused by the rest of the boys expressions when her name was mentioned.

Her question was soon answered when a girl with chestnut hair bounded towards the boys, her hair flowing from side to side and her face, no denying she was pretty with her perfect tanned skin and flawless figure but instantly El didn’t like her.

“Patrick, get off my boyfriend. Now.” Rachel snapped as soon as she got close to Garrett.

Obliging Pat sat on the floor next to Ken after muttering ”bitch” underneath his breath.
As soon as Rachel had sat on Garrett she snaked her arms around his neck and began sucking his face off.

El raised her eyebrows, sipping on her coke awkwardly. “So, how’s everyone’s day been then?” she spoke, a smirk on her face as she tried not to laugh at the sound of Rachel eating Garrett’s face off.

“Oh yeah mine was great.” John spoke, raising his eyebrows towards the couple. “How was yours Garrett?”

Rachel instantly stopped, glaring at John. “His was fine John.”

“Can he not speak for himself, geesh.” El muttered under her breath, shaking her head.

Although Eleanor hadn’t intended Rachel to hear this, she sure as hell did. Whipping her head around she raised her newly waxed eyebrows at the small girl sat in the chair, narrowing her eyes at her. “And who may you be?”
“Eleanor.” the girl spoke, scoffing. She wouldn’t introduce herself as “El” to anyone who made her feel uncomfortable.
A small smirk came upon Rachel’s features. She knew all about Eleanor, Kennedy may have only told Garrett why exactly she was here but of course Garrett told her. “You’re the fucked up one, yeah?”

Rachel didn’t get the rise from Eleanor she expected, even though El felt like stabbing the bitch to china and back she simply just chuckled, shaking her head. “Yeah, I’m fucking cuckoo, off the rails, you should try it.”

All the boys except Garrett let out a sound of approval. Kennedy smiled, knowing El could stand up for herself, and she always could hold her own.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go do things all the mental people do. Later.” Standing up from her chair Eleanor smiled politely particularly at Rachel before nodding at the boys and walking away.

“Wait, I’ll come with you.” John offered standing up, following the small girl. “That was fucking brilliant.” John chortled as soon as they were out of ear shot.

“I try. I try.” El spoke, reaching for a beer that was on the table they’d walked to, handing John one.
Even if El hadn’t liked John at first, he had apologized so she decided he was okay enough. Popping the top off the beer El took a long swig, letting the coolness slide down her throat.

“Uh oh, here comes trouble.” John spoke, nudging the girl next to him as Garrett approached.
Eleanor rolled her eyes before raising her eyebrows.

“Um, can I speak to you El?” Garrett spoke, rubbing the back of his neck and clamping his teeth down on his lower lip.

“Be my guest.” El spoke, nodding her head towards the end of the garden.

“You know, you handled that well, back there.” picking at the grass under his feet he stared at his scuffed up Vans.

“Used to it Gare.”

That’s when Garrett’s head snapped up. Eleanor had just called him “Gare” to him that signalled she was comfortable enough with him and that was all he needed to give her a small smile.

Her green eyes glinted in the sun as she took another swig on her beer. “You don’t need to say sorry for her behaviour Garrett, you’re not her bitch.”

Garrett chuckled before turning his head towards her short clad legs, his eyes narrowed and the smile on his face vanished. “What- what are these?” he spoke, noticing scars were peeking out of the bottom of her shorts.

Pulling the hem of her shorts down, El swallow the lump in her throat that was threatening to arise. The last person who had asked her that got a swift punch to the face and El had cried for days.
Yet here she sat, unflinching, not moving, not a work spoken. Eventually she cleared her throat, making eye contact with the boy sat next to her. “Story for another day Gare.”

He cocked his head to the side, wondering how she was so kept together yet so messed up, she could deny and joke about it as much as she wanted too but he saw right through it.

“You’re stronger than you think El.” he spoke before he got up and walked away, leaving the girl, completely and utterly bewildered.