Story Requests

Elliot's house

Around 32 hours later, Victoria stood in front of a two-story house on Mulberry Street. The house was grey with white trim, and a large yard showed a large walled-off-garden which boasted colourful flowers. Hedges lined the front and a small, rocky path led up to the front window; pebbles bordered it off. 

Mulberry Street seemed quiet, as if it shouldn't be disturbed. Trees swayed in the light breeze, and the grass rippled back and forth. 

Victoria opened the gate. It swung open with a loud creak, and she glanced around anxiously in case someone had heard. As she trudged up the three steps that led to the black front door, she found herself looking up. A curtain in an open window fluttered, as a light breeze passed in through it. She knocked three times. Footsteps sounded from inside the house, and mild thumping. The door opened wide. 

Elliot stood there in a plain grey T-shirt and white shorts. He wore sneakers and socks, and he stepped back to let Victoria in. 

"Do I take off my shoes?" she asked, reaching down to her ankles. She wore white trainers. 

"Um, you can but it doesn't really matter," he answered. He shut the door and led her into the living room. "My parents are out, so we have the house to ourselves." 

"Cool. It's a nice house."

"Yeah." Elliot pointed to the couch. A golden cat lay on the armrest, backing in the sun. It turned its head at their voices and blinked with large, green eyes. "That's Biscuit. He likes to be cuddled a lot, and he's extra fluffy. Wanna hold him?" 

Victoria nodded. "Sure." She held out her arms and sat carefully on the couch. Elliot picked Biscuit up and put him back down, in Victoria's lap. He sat down beside her. Victoria petted Biscuit carefully. He closed his eyes and started purring.

 "Awww, he's so cute," she giggled. Her laugh was like sunshine on a rainy day, filling the room with cheer. 

Elliot glanced at Victoria then, his heart swelling. A plain blue-grey dress reached down past her knees, and her long dark brown hair was brushed perfectly. As she looked up at him, a twinkle in her warm chocolate-brown eyes; face flushed in the sunlight that streamed through the window; she caught a smile tugging from her lips as they gazed back at each other. 

Then Biscuit meowed and jumped down, disturbing the silent chemistry that flowed out from the two. Elliot quickly looked away. "Do you like football?" he asked. 

"Yeah. I played it at my school a couple times with my friends, but haven't since I moved here." 

"Wanna kick it around?" 

"Ok." They both rushed out into the yard, the screen door banging against the wall. Victoria picked up a soccer ball that lay on the lawn. She bounced it on the ground before kicking it as hard as she could. 

 It flew past Elliot and landed in a pot of tulips. "Oh no!"

 Elliot inspected it. "It's ok," he said, fingering the bruised leaves. "No damage to the flowers."

"Phew." Victoria laid a hand across her neck, and then she poised to defend herself as the ball rolled her way. They batted it back and forth across the grass for a while. When clouds covered the sun, Biscuit pushed the door that had been left open, his tail flicking back and forth as he waited for the right moment to pounce. 

When Victoria sent the ball to Elliot, Biscuit leaped at the ball. Elliot dashed over to catch him, but tripped on the ball. Victoria managed to catch the cat, but she slipped on one of her laces and went down. Biscuit jumped out of her arms and fled to the porch. 

Elliot sat up and tilted his head, his messy brown hair sliding to the side. "Are you ok, Victoria?" he asked. 

Victoria picked herself up off the ground. "I'm fine." She brushed herself off. "Just thirsty. Let's go inside." 

Elliot nodded breathlessly and followed her. Laughing, they strode inside and she plopped down on a purple rug in the living room. Elliot brought over a jug of cold water with some snacks and they sat on the floor, sipping icy water and munching on chips; all while watching a movie. 

As the sun set behind the trees and sank lower and lower in the sky, the movie finished and the credits switched on. Victoria opened the door and stood outside, breathing deeply. "Oh Elliot, you gotta come. The air is so fresh out here." 

He came and breathed in and out. "Oh yeah." 

She stepped forward into the middle of the large backyard, tipped her head back, and spread her arms wide, closing her eyes and taking a long, deep breath. Elliot, not hesitating for a second, fitted both hands on the sides of her slim waist. "Elliot, what are you—" 

 He did something unexpected, something that both of them didn't intend. He lifted her up and spun her around. Victoria laughed, and then she blushed deep as Elliot slowly turned her around and caught her up in his arms. Her cheeks scarlet, her hair falling about her shoulders in waves, her sneakers touching the ground and her eyes staring back into his. 

And then she locked her arms around his neck, and he moved one around her waist and held the other on her back. The last of the golden sunlight faded beyond the horizon and they stayed like that, arms wrapped around each other, heads so close that they were almost touching; and then they lay back on the grass and talked. 

Talked until the clock had ticked to seven. Talked until their love flowed out to each other under the high, dark stars.