One More Time

04

"I would have walked home if I didn't end up at the hospital," I tried to justify myself as Ellie complained.

"It's 22:00 o'clock, Luka," she complained more, though she had a smile on her face through that complaint, "it's dark and you know I hate to drive in the dark."

"Just please don't tell Aunt Susan."

"Why would I tell Aunt Susan?" She glanced over at me.

"I don't know, I just would rather tell her everything that happened when I get the time."

"I won't tell her. So then what's your plan for an excuse of why you were out this late." She elbowed me.

"Ow," I emphasized. "I don't know. I was hoping you had one."

Ellie sighed. "I picked you up around 18:00, Aunt Susan knows you stay late, of course, because we wanted to go thrift shopping."

"We don't have any clothes or things with us that could prove we went."

"I'm not done, Luka."

"My bad!" I shouted, joking around with her.

"We couldn't find anything good so we went to McDonald's to get dinner but they got our order wrong twice because the lady who took our order forgot to put it back to the kitchen so we didn't get our food till late. Then we went to find more stores and we still couldn't find anything good but then on the way home we wanted ice cream and now we're here driving home. How's that sound?"

"Hasn't she been home since 18:00? She would know you didn't leave at that time."

"I've been with my friends like all day until you called me telling me you were at the hospital!"

"You said you don't like driving at night but you were going to anyways."

"Shut up"

"Okay, I get it, you're upset."

"No, Luka. I'm not upset about driving you home. Picking you up. Any of it. What I'm upset about is that I answer the phone and you tell me you're at the hospital. I freaked out. The next time you need me to pick you up from a hospital, don't make it seem like you're the one injured!"

"Okay okay, I get it, Ellie."

"Just don't scare me like that. Okay, Luka?"

I stayed silent beside her, listening to the radio that was close to zero volume. Ellie's car was kind of a mess, not because she made a mess of it but just because it's old. It's always had a weird smell to it that no matter how many Taco Bell bags of food she brings in here, the smell never changes.

"Can we actually get ice cream before going home?" I tease her, smiling at myself.

"Luka!" She punched my arm.

"Fine." I laughed.

When we get in the house, Aunt Susan is sitting on the couch watching TV. Ellie immediately walked over to the kitchen to place her keys down on the counter, and I followed.

"Sorry, Aunt Susan. I had Luka with me but my phone was dead so I didn't text you. I couldn't find my phone charger to save my life," she lied, opening a cabinet and taking a bowl.

Aunt Susan paused the TV and looked behind her over the couch. The kitchen and living room were slightly connected. You have the living room area to your right when you walk in then the dining table and the kitchen following afterward. "It's fine, I was just about to text one of you, it's getting kind of late."

"We were out thrifting. I just wanted to spend some time with my baby brother," she teased me. "Nothing good," Ellie continued, pouring fruit loops into her bowl.