Lusting For Elliot

:Part Two: Chapter Sixteen

~Chapter Sixteen~

I was adamant not to go. I'd made every intention of avoiding the table and everyone else for the entirety of the morning, but I ran into Duke. And with a careful pout here and honest, practical words here and there, the girl I'd been raised to be reared its head in acknowledgement.

Giving up would hurt my dad and it would cause a rift between what could be a great family.

I was being controlled with emotion that stemmed from mediocre assumptions.

I was giving everyone else a hard time.

Jonny still needed a mother figure, and growing among many figures would help him establish a firmer solution for himself.

And then, the one that Elliot had unwittingly let loose scoffed at it all. But, before I knew it, I was seated in the dining room, Jonny across from me, and breakfast went on as if nothing had happened before.

Ella returned to her chirping, albeit more calmer; dad didn't speak much except answers peeked over his newspaper, Duke teased Timmy, and Jonny and I remained silent. It was like I'd never said a word. It was, simply put, ignoring the elephant in the room.

That emotion reared its head again. I slowly got up. "Jonny, if you're done, I'll wait for you at the car," I said. Jonny nodded.

No one spoke as I made to leave, grabbing my bag from the chair I'd dropped it on. Suddenly, Ella spoke. "Don't forget Timmy," she said.

I glanced back, tight smile in place. "Muriel can take him," I said.

Duke sighed, closing his eyes briefly. Dad's brows furrowed curiously. "How are you two getting to school?"

"It's about time I used that car, anyway," I said, thinking to the car grandmother, although tight on tradition and its restrictions, had sent me off with.

Jonny got up and grabbed his bag as people watched. I went into the kitchen, took the lunch and was back with barley a word uttered. As I was at the dining room arch, dad broke into the silence.

"Chrystal, if this about–"

It was the stare I gave him that made him stop. "Now we address the issue in the air," I said, more gaily than I hoped. I was acting a brat, I knew that, but I couldn't stop it. They'd ignored everything. "I thought we were all going to play cough and care not for one's sentiments. I'm afraid it's going to take some time until I can fathom the thought of sitting down to have a chat; but until then, I'm afraid this is good day."

The car roving under me made me pause. Grandmother's stubborn mind had made her quite a challenge when picking out a car. The Aston Martin beneath me purred beautifully, chic and right in its radiant yellow.

Jonny sighed. "You know,"

I sighed. "I know," I said, glancing at him. I smiled sadly, ruffling his hair. A cheeky smile pulled at his lips as he ducked away. "I know, little dragon."

"It's been a while since you used that name," he said, blushing furiously against the chiding tone of his voice.

I grinned as I pulled out of the garage front. Muriel had a worried expression as he watched us ride off and I knew it stemmed from my first driving lesson. That had been fun.

Thoughts drifted through my mind on the way to school, but surprisingly, control had returned, together with its coordination and response timing. We arrived at school without much of a problem but with a silent car. A heavy weight settled in my chest and I couldn't wait to see Elliot.

He'd know what to do. He had to know what to do.

But I couldn't find him. Friends commented on the car and I remember answering it was a gift. It did stand out in the school parking lot. Although filled with equal measures expensive and humbled cars, the yellow colour did stand out. It was better than the Barbie pink my mother had in stores for my eighteenth birthday.