Test Four

Of Coarse

"You know what?" She says, an hour later, where we still sit on the bed, everything now cleared up. We are surrounded by cookie crumbs and dog fur. Blues (Katie's dog) decided to come with them. And when Katie's mum came to see my mum, he bounced in my room. For a small dog, he sheds a lot. "I've been thinking... its normal to want attention... but is it also normal for you to be... jealous?" I stare at her with a disgusted look on my face, my cheeks heating up.

"What do you mean..." I say as calmly as I can.

"Oh yes! Yes! That's why you were so defensive! You like him!"

"What! No I don't... I just wanted to talk to you."

"Uh huh... is that right...  look you do like him, I know it!"

"I do no-"She pushes me down and starts tickling me,

"Yes you do! I won't stop until you admit it!" I laugh erupts from me and I try to push her back but she keeps tickling,

"Fine! Fine!" she pulls back,

"What's that?" she holds her ear, I lace my hands,

"I like him," I whisper,

"Hm?"

"I like him!" I yell,

"I knew it! We have to make you guys hang out!"

"What? But we just did!"

"I know! But JUST you and him... only!"

"What! NO.... I have done that before and I fell!"

"I'm sure there was a reason! Now come on-"

"NO NO NO! I don't want to, you can come!"

"No! You are going!" She pulls me up, grabbing a yellow knee length dress from my cupboard, "here!"

"NO! I am supposed to be hanging with you-"

"Shhh..." she puts her finger up to my mouth, "I don't care!" She puts the dress in my hand, "go and hang with him!"

"Fine." "Childish" Ok voices, you're there, cool but shut the hell up... Please, don't say anything while this is happening.

I stand at his door, looking to my right I see Katie, who is standing at my door, smiling. I give her a wary look before the door opens, its Jayce.

"Oh! Ella... hi,"

"Hey... ummm... I was wondering if you have added any photos..." I gulp, what am I saying.

"Oh! Yes.... Umm I have... just one... but... do you want to see it?"

"Ummmm I guess so..."

"Cool." He leads me through his house, to the back yard, through the wire fence. I look at the photo, it's a picture that he must of took, of me, Katie and Conner, Katie and Conner are sipping at their drinks, but I have my head in my hand and I am looking out the window. "I took it before I went to the toilet, I hope you don't mind..."

"No... its fine."

"You just looked like you were in a whole new world... compared to the others... uhh..." I cringe so bad, but I understand what he meant.

We smile at each other.

...

I hug Katie goodbye, as she has to go back, this weekend we spent hanging and going around town, it was fun. I lie in my bed, tomorrow is school, maybe Melonie will be there, and it'll be nice to see her again.

...

I wait at my bag, for Melonie to come past me, and to go to the library. I cross my arms, she is taking for ever, suddenly I see her around the corner, and I run over to her,

"Hey Melonie!"

"Oh! Hi... I was just looking at... this poster," she points to a poster saying, sign up for English quiz. Righteo.

"Oh cool!"

"Ummm, Ella?"

"Yeah..."

"Umm, I don't want to say this..." her hands shake and her breath becomes heavy,

"What?"

"Oh... people have been saying... and Jayce has been saying... wanting to say... that..."

"That what...?"

"He thinks you are being weird... I mean he doesn't want you to hang out with him anymore... because he doesn't really like you... he says he has probably made you think he does... but he doesn't..." My face becomes blank, and my breath stops, oh... well of coarse... I would've thought.

"Oh yeah right... of coarse... um yeah..." I turn back to the poster before stepping away quietly and walk to the bathroom, my belly sinks, he never really liked me... oh how embarrassing, I put my hands over my face... how could I be so stupid... of coarse he never actually wanted to hang out with me.

...

I stare my back yard fence, throwing a ball at it, when it bounces back I catch it.

"Hey... Ella... whatcha doing?" Says Will walking over to me.

"Oh I don't know... what does it look like?"

"You throwing a ball at the fence and then catching it?"

"Yeah, see that wasn't that hard was it?"

"Hm." We end up chucking the ball to each other, sitting down on the grass; I turn around suddenly to see Jayce, peeping over the fence,

"Hey!" he says, I stare at him, my breath stopping, I turn back to the ball in my hands throwing it at Will, "Ella?"

"What?" I turn and stare at him, "Need more acting, come one, make it more like he is real." I scrunch my face, "You don't have to lie Jayce it's okay..." I stand up and walk inside. That was embarrassing, I should of told him, he doesn't have to tell me, why did he seem so shocked when I told him he doesn't have to lie... he must have been shocked that I knew, anyway I didn't want to have an argument in front of my brother.

"It was very nice having Katie around last weekend wasn't it Ella?" mum says across from me at the dinner table,

"Oh yeah... it was,"

"Ella isn't very happy and I don't know why..." says Will,

"Will! No I am fine." Mum looks at me worriedly.

"Are you sure everything is good honey?" says dad,

"Yes! Everything is fine!" I say getting up and leaving to my room.

"Perhaps it is just her wanting to move back again..." says mum,

"Why can't she just except that she is here!" says dad. I sit in my bed, my body tired; I look up when I hear a knock. "Baby girl, can I come in?" I grunt, dad comes in and sits beside me, "honey, you know... it's going to become normal living here soon..."

"No... dad I know, I'm not worried about that anymore..."

"No?"

"Yeah... it's something else..." He looks at me expectantly, "my... homework... is overloading..."

"Oh... honey" He pulls me into a hug, "You will be fine El bel, my little princess," I dig my head into his shoulder,

"Thanks dad, I love you so much,"

"I love you to bub, you are my angel, and doesn't anyone tell you that you aren't, okay?" "Typical."

"Yeah dad."