FicWad

I made my way home without any incidents. Bobbi-Jo was knitting on the couch; my grandpa was sleeping in the chair. He was still wearing his coat. For a second I panicked. He was just sleeping so still.

"Is he okay?" I asked her. I was just about to reach over and shake him and she stopped me.

"He’s just napping," she said glancing up at me. I studied him carefully for a second. He was definitely breathing.

“Oh. “I sighed a little before heading off to the kitchen. I was starving. I barely ate anything at lunch. I piled up some snacks and headed down to my room. The light on my answering machine was blinking...A lot...

I pushed the button. Lia's voice boomed out "Where ARE YOU???"...beep..."ELLE WHAT THE HELL?"...beep..."I know you're home CALL ME!!"...beep

I looked over at the phone. I wasn’t going to call her back. I couldn’t. I didn’t have time. I started laying out all my papers when it rang again. I sighed as I picked it up. I knew it was her but wasn’t sure what she wanted. Its always something with her. I figured Id just tell her I wasn’t feeling well and I wasn’t coming over but it didn’t go so well…

"You need to get over here now Elle!!" Lia yelled into the phone and then hung up before I could even get a word in.. I quickly dialed her number back.

“Li- Im not feeling well.” I tried to tell her but she wasn’t having it. Started babbling on about how she got kicked out of her school on the first day of it no less. How the principal accused this guy she had a crush on of pulling the fire alarm after he lit a fire in the garbage can. And the injustices of it all. He wasn’t so much in trouble for lighting the fire, more like because he pulled the alarm and caused them to evacuate.

“Are you even listening?” She yelled into the phone and I sighed. I was. I had just heard it all before.

“I am but…” My voice trailed off in distraction. “I don’t know what you want from me.” I shrugged.

"Well, what are you doing?“ She asked and I hated to lie so I didn’t.

“Im trying to figure out what happens next.” I replied and she laughed.

"Well, Ill tell you what happens. Since I am not allowed on school property anymore- they're gonna send a tutor to my house for home schooling And Im suppose to take the GED exam at the end of the year." She groaned and I nodded.

“Yeah or before that.” I corrected her. “Once you turn 18 you can take it.” I thought back a little and quickly scribbled it on my list. I remember when Lia took that exam. She failed. But the she retook it a few weeks later and passed it.

"Yeah whatever.“ She laughed. "So uhh… when are you coming over?" she asks me once more and I frowned. It was like she could see me frowning cause she started shrieking. “NO you HAVE to come over. Like right now.” She demanded.

“Why right now?" I asked curiously.

"Cause Ray Toro called me and hes on his way over.” She laughed but I didn’t.

“What?” I gasped a little looking at my notes. That wasn’t written anywhere!

“Really Ellie…” She seemed to switch the phone around as talked.. "I promised Ray he could meet Ted" Lia says and I can hear her heading down the stairs now. “And I need you here to distract him while I pretend to call Ted.” She added and the memory was slowly starting to come into focus.

“Ok Ill be right there.” I told he quickly as I hung up. I ran down the street. I should’ve drove but I didn’t know where my car keys were. I got to Lias house seconds before Ray pulled up. Gerard was with him. So was Mikey.

"Elle, bring them out on the back deck ok, I'll go call Ted. " she said gesturing them in. They followed me through her kitchen and then back outside in the yard. The guys all sat at her patio table. I leant on the railing of the deck. It was deathly silent. I wanted to say something to Gerard but I didn’t know what…Gerard lit a cigarette and stared off onto the yard... Ray was looking through the doors eagerly as Lia pretended to chat on the phone… Mikey was staring at me. Then Lia appeared in the doorway and peeked her head out.

"Hey how much money did you bring Toro?" she asked him and he reached in his pocket. "Oh that's Mikey, Gerard’s little brother she tells me nodding to him. “Isn't he just the cutest little thing Elle?" she said.

“yeah I know, hes in my math class.” I smiled and Lia smiled back at me quickly before turning her eyes onto Ray once more.

"uh I got like 35 bucks" Ray said scratching at his afro. "But uh where’s Ted?" He says and Lias smile turned into that malicious little grin of hers.

"Oh he got a little tied up, but don't worry I'll take care of you. " Lia winked at Ray. He smiled back and I rolled my eyes knowing how that was going to end.

"I'll be right back" Lia says taking Rays money back inside with her.

"This is bullshit" Gerard muttered.

Ray looked at him. "No man it's cool." Ray says as Gerard flicked his cigarette on to Lia’s lawn. I frowned. I hate when people do that.

"Is there even a fucking Ted? Youre never gonna meet him " he scowled. They all turned to me as I got up to go retrieve his trash.

"Sure you are." I said with certainty stepping onto the lawn and picking up the cigarette butt and frowning as I brought it over the trashcan on the side of the house. They were all just looking at me curiously now and I laughed. “I promise you, one day you’ll meet him. Just don’t be disappointed if hes not exactly what you pictured ” I continued to laugh.

“Well whats he look like Elle?” Ray asked me and before I couldn’t answer Lia appeared in the doorway holding up a Ziploc bag, which Ray took eagerly.

Suddenly there was a beeping.

“What the fuck is that?” I cried out in panic a little. My first thought was it an alarm clock. That this was really just all a dream and I was about to wake up.

“I think its your pager Elle.” Lia snickered and I frowned reaching into my purse.

“I don’t have a pager.” I mumbled but sure enough I did. Fuck, it was Pauls. I forgot he had given me one to keep track of me. “Bah its Pauls.” I announced and Lia snickered. Gerard went like he was going to get up.

“You better call him. He is your boyfriend” Lia directed to me but she was looking at Gerard when she said it. She loved to twist the emotional knife in people and watch them squirm for some reason.

“Fuck him.” I announced loudly and with out even thinking about it I tossed the pager over the railing and into the inground pool in her yard.

“Elle!” Lia gasped and I couldn’t help but laugh. Mikey did too. It was funny. “You better fucking fish that out!” She came over an swatted my arm. “Before my mom gets home Elle, Im serious.” She carried on and I nodded as I tried to stop laughing. She was right. Her mom would seriously freak.

“okay okay.” I grumbled and the Ray said something about wanting to talk to Lia for a second and before I knew it he and her had went back into the house.

I went to get the net off the hook and paused looking over at Gerard. “mmm Gerard can I talk to you?” I asked and he nodded and followed me down the steps. We were standing on the edge of the pool now. It was good cause I didn’t really have to look at him as we spoke. I was trying my best to fish the pager out but it was hard. “Im um real sorry about this morning.” I said softly and he didn’t say anything. I glanced over and he was nodding.

“Yeah its ok.” He somewhat shrugged and I turned my attention back to the water.

“I umm..” I stammered a little. I wasn’t quite sure how to explain why I kissed him like that in the morning. “Well you see-” I start to say and he cuts me off.

“Look Elle its clear you and Paul are having some problems.” He says and I widened my eyes at him.

“Why would you say that?” I blurt out and he sorta smiled as he looked over at the pager at the bottom of the pool. “Oh.” I kinda laughed and he reached over and took the net from me.

“Here let me.” He says and I just let him. Now he didn’t have to look at me as he spoke. His eyes firmly affixed to the water now. “just don’t put me in the middle.” He sorta mumbled and I frowned. Gerard must’ve thought that’s what it was. I don’t know how much of Paul and my conversation he overheard before I kissed him but I can see why he would think the kiss was nothing more then just me exercising my freedoms to Paul. That I would’ve what? just kissed who ever was the next guy that walked in?

“Its not.” I somewhat whispered. I knew what I wanted to say and I knew I couldn’t… “I just. Im really sorry okay.” I swallowed back my tears and he didn’t seem to notice just nodded as he continued to struggle with the net.

It wasn’t working. I guess cause the pager was so small, or maybe it was just a bad angle, but there was no way we were going to be fishing it out like this.

“Fuck this.” I announced loudly. “Im just gonna go in and get it.” I went to take the net from him and he laughed.

“You’re dressed.” he points out and I frowned. He was right. Probably not a good idea to jump in with my jeans on. I mean Id get wet and then what? Have to walk all the way home drenched?

“Fine.” I shook my head a little and before he could say anything I tore off my clothes. Not all my clothes. Just my jeans and my shirt. I had a bra on and panties which is really no different then a bathing suit would be. In fact what I was wearing was actually more fabric then any bikini I owned.

“whoa.” I heard Gerard say. Or maybe he said ho? I don’t know. I dived in so fast I barely heard him. I snatched the pager and as I emerged from the water I heard Lia shrieking.

“Elle what the fuck!” She was screaming at me and I just looked at her blankly. They were all kinda smiling at me. Ray, Mikey and Lia from the deck. Gerard from the edge of the pool.

“What you said get the pager so I got the pager.” I grumbled swimming towards the ladder.

“Ill get you a towel. Stay there.” She pointed at me roughly. Ordering me to remain in the pool.

“Um were gonna go.“ Ray nodded towards Gerard who nodded back.

“oh ok.” was all I could manage to say.

"Bye Elle" Mikey said to me and I gave him a weak smile.

“Bye Mikey.“ I gave him a small wave and just like that they were gone. Lia came back to the pool with a towel grumbling all sorts of obscenities.

“what are you so pissed off for?” I asked her wrapping the towel around me now as I got out of the pool. “Didn’t you kiss Ray?” I asked and she looked at me for a second like how would I know that. “I can tell.” I added and she shook her head at me a little in disgust.

“Uh yeah I did.” I hear her say as I went to get my clothes.

“SO whats the problem?’ I asked and she scoffed at me.

“Look I got a hard enough time getting a guys attention with out you parading around here like a drenched Victorias secret model.” She waved her hands around in the air and I just laughed.

“Lia come on.” I rolled my eyes at her and she just continued to frown. “Seriously Lia. Im not into Ray. I swear.” And I did. I held my two fingers and she pressed her lips together as she looked at me.

“Fine.” She said somewhat reluctantly. “But you gotta get out of here before my mom gets home. Im in enough trouble already.” She moaned and I nodded. I wanted to get out of there too. I had to get home. I was gathering up the rest of my stuff when Lia stopped me. "Oh wait here take this-" she says as she hands me a altoids tin. "They sent me to the fucking shrink too.." She laughs as I opened it . It was filled with pills.

"Mmm, what are they?" I asked poking through them.

"Oh I don't fucking remember" she smiles. "But the lady did say not to mix two of them" She warns me.

"Well which ones Lia?" I say snapping the lid shut.

Lia thought really hard. "I don't know Elle you'll just have to figure it out..."

Ha. Just what I needed more shit to figure out.