Why not? - English

13-19 The Lock In

Today was the last day of my exams and I could now proudly call myself an inspector and also take over the testing of our emergency vehicles on land and on water.

The doorbell rang and on the way to it I wondered who wanted something from me at this time. Apart from Sam, no one else came over at this time and the two of us still didn't talk to each other. But I could hardly ignore the bell while the light was still on in the hallway, clearly indicating that I was home and still awake.

"Can we talk?" Ellie immediately attacked me as soon as I opened the door and my previously good mood sank a little to zero again. I still hadn't quite gotten over the rumor mill and was still skeptical of Ellie, especially after my fight with Sam. Not because I really believed that something was going on between her and Sam, but more because I knew her lifestyle and was afraid that she would try it at some point. I did feel like slamming the door in my former best friend's face because I really wasn't in the mood today, but a last bit of decency in me rebelled against it and also the fact that I had to sort it out at some point. I couldn't put it off forever, no matter how uncomfortable this conversation might make me.

"To be honest, you're one of the last people I want to see in private right now," I replied to her anyway, and a moment later I was sorry when I saw pain flicker in her eyes. I sighed quietly and decided to give her a chance, so I took a step aside and invited her in with a wave of my hand.

Ellie hesitated for a moment and I could understand her after the comment I had just thrown at her. But then she came in and went through to the floor to the door into the living room to wait for me there while I closed the door behind her.

"So? What do you want?" I asked her as I caught up with her and went into the kitchen to turn on the kettle. For my part, I wanted some tea and that stupid spark of decency in me told me to offer her one too as my guest.

"What's going on between you and Sam, Penny?" she asked and I froze for a second as I reached for the tea box on the counter.

"I don't know what you mean, Ellie!" I simply replied. What did she want from me? Was she angry because I had Sam's undivided attention so often? "Why don't you ask him yourself?" I stated sarcastically. There it was again. Jealousy. After all this time I still couldn't turn it off. So much for my plan to stop getting emotionally involved with the thought of them both.

"I tried that. Yesterday, because Elvis and I involuntarily heard the end of your argument. As you know, I train for the fun run. Because there was nothing going on today, Steele allowed me to do it in the evening during the shift. I convinced Sam to come with me to get something out of him, but even after Steele gave up and looked for a shortcut, I couldn't get Sam to say anything. He just said that you have a little problem with him paying so much attention to me right now." I just snorted dismissively. Sam put it beautifully in words! "Penny, please! You have to get this under control!" she said almost pleadingly and I turned to her in surprise.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you even notice how you're behaving? It's affecting the whole team," she said perplexed, and I turned back to my tea bags. She accused me of being a bad influence on our companionship? Really?

"It didn't seem to bother you when Sam caught you at the disco night or that he now give you more space at work or lets you take the lead sometimes," I simply replied to her and got two cups from the cupboard above me.

"No, it doesn't bother me at all. I was really pleased that Sam thought I was good for more than just sitting on station duty checking equipment or laying a hose in line, and I would have wished my best friend would also be happy that I finally got the chance to prove myself more and find my place in the team. You said yourself that you have Sam to thank for being so confident today and so well trained."