Stick Together

The Next Day

Elle woke up from her small amount of sleep to an odd place. She was in a different place from when she went to sleep. Then she saw Jesse on the couch in the living room. Jesse had most certainly carried her to the comfortable recliner.

Elle looked around to find Dakota or Lily, but she couldn't see them anywhere.

"Dakota?" Elle whispered down the basement stairs. She walked down the steps to find a kitchen, gaming device, a flat screen, and a wide awake Dakota, Andrea, and Lily. "You guys having fun?"

"Hell yeah!" Dakota didn't look away from the screen.

"Quite the lady's man, I see," Elle observed, a little sarcastically.

"Hey, what can say? I have charisma," Dakota smiled, eyes still fixated on the screen.

"Yeah you do," Elle mumbled under breathe.

"What was that?" Dakota asked.

"Oh, nothing," Elle covered. "Where's Kenny and Cameron?"

"Probably upstairs," Andrea answered, mirroring Dakota. "Not together or anything. That would be weird."

"Heh, yeah," Elle started up the stairs.

"Oh yeah!" Dakota yelled, celebrating something in the video game. "You are freaking awesome, Andrea!"

"Huh, so freaking awesome," Elle mumbled under breathe yet again, with anguish. "Fuck her."

Just then, the power went completely out, ending the fun downstairs.

"Aw, come on!" Lily yelled.

"Thank you, God," Elle closed her eyes. Just was obviously jealous of Andrea, not knowing who Dakota really had feelings for. When she opened them, she was sitting on the basement steps, on the half closet to the top, crying. "Damn you, Dakota."

"Elle?" Dakota was standing at the bottom of the stairs. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, uh, just um, thought I saw a big. Was gonna kill it," Elle tried to cover up her crying.

"By sitting down?" Dakota was doubtful.

"I have different techniques," Elle clenched her teeth, looking up the stairs, rather than at Dakota.

"Crying one of them?" Dakota teased.

"Fuck you!" Elle ran up the remaining steps and into a bedroom, locking the door behind her.

"Whoa," Dakota was astonished and hurt. "What the hell?"

"Could be that time-," Jesse walked down the steps, just barely witnessing what happened. He was interrupted.

"Cut that shit right now," Dakota cautioned Jesse. "You will regret it."

"Jesus, sorry," Jesse backed up the stairs. "Are you gonna help her, or am I gonna have to?"

"What are you talking about?" Dakota asked.

"She's pissed, bro," Jesse pointed out. "Someone needs to calm her down."

"I'll do it," Lily walked up the stairs, past both the guys. "I'm kind of an expert when it comes to girl problems."

"I'm sure, and uh, thanks," Jesse was filled with gratitude.

"No problem, dude," she said back.

"See? Nothing to worry about," Jesse turned to Dakota. "At least, for now."