BURNING OUT - (SKAM)

2

   "Do you want any?" Chris offered gesturing to his bowl of chips on the freshly cleaned countertop as he scrolled through his phone.

   Eleanor shook her head setting up her makeshift bed on his couch. A few pillows and a blanket would do. She planned to only stay until the morning, then she would consider talking to William again. He hadn't heard a single thing from his sister since she left and she knew it was killing him; not knowing where she was, if she was okay. It hurt him.

   Chris set the bowl on the coffee table in front of the couch and sat down messing up Eleanor's small fortress. He sat himself on of top the one pillow she was in the process of using making her swipe another to reposition herself closer to the edge.

   "Comfortable?" He laughed dropping a handful of chips onto the couch.

   "Stop getting crumbs on my bed," Eleanor teased as Chris brushed them to the floor not caring for the mess they made.

   "My apartment, my couch," He declared reclining in his seat with his foot propped on the coffee table and hand on the remote picking a show to watch, "Suits?"

   "What do I tell William?"

   Chris paused and licked his lips, "Say something like, 'Sorry. I'm lost in Chris' perfect brown...orbs. I think I'm utterly in love with him. I'll talk to you later. Love, Eleanor."

   "Why didn't I think of that?" She mused clicking onto her messages with William and seeing his 12 missed phone calls and messages; all 9 of them.

Prince William: Eleanor please come home

Prince William: I'm sorry

Prince William: You know I didn't mean it

Prince William: Can we talk about this before

you decide to completely ignore me?

Prince William: Where are you?

Prince William: Just tell me where you are

and I'll come pick you up

Prince William: I'm worried Eleanor

Prince William: Pick up!!!!!

Prince William: Please

Her: I'm fine Will. I'm at a friends.

   "I'm a friend now. I thought I was a 'boy toy', huh?" Chris read over her shoulder making her hide her phone against her chest.

   "Weren't you ever taught personal space?"

   "They tried. I didn't listen," He taunted raising his eyebrows. "So, are you going to tell me what William did or am I going to have to wait until Monday for him to come up and sell some made up bullshit?"

"Like you care," She declared tucking her feet beneath the covers.

"I do too care. He's my friend. If he's in trouble I want to help."

"You can't help him in any way I haven't tried."

Chris furrowed his brows together, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know William; stubborn, independent, troubled," Chris nodded. "He bottles everything up; his emotions, stress, problems, and thinks he has to deal with it all on his own. I'm trying to help him through it, but, everytime-everytime I get close enough to help him, he explodes. He says things he doesn't mean and hates himself even more for it. It's an endless cycle."

Chris chewed on his lip thinking of an appropriate response, "If you were in his shoes, if you had a stick up your ass and were pushing away the people who care about you most, what would you want him to do?"

Eleanor stared at his bedroom door thinking, "I would-I would want him to tell me he cares."

"Is that all?" He questioned now sitting facing her, his feet barely under the blanket.

"No, if I were in his shoes, I would want him to show me that he cares and that he understands by taking on some of the work and sharing his struggles. Then, together, as a family, we would figure everything out one step at a time. We would both look after each other."

"And, now that you've said that outloud, what are you going to do the next time you see him?"

"I am going to call him in the morning and talk."

Chris smiled, satisfied with her answer shifted in his spot to face the T.V. Eleanor bit her lip trying to conceal her forming smile.

"Wow, for a moment there, I could have sworn you weren't a complete and utter douchebag?"

"Don't tell anyone. I've got a reputation to keep up."

"You want people to think you're a heartless asshole? What kind of image is that?"

Chris shared a genuine look with Eleanor. She could see the concern in his eyes for a split second, but that emotion was gone in a blink of an eye.

"If people knew I had a heart, that's one more advantage they have over me. And that's not something I can afford." He explained. Still her expression remained confused. "The more you give in life, the more everyone will try to take."

"Sometimes you have to wear your heart on your sleeve. It's hard at first, but after all the heartache you begin to meet better people than you could ever imagine," Eleanor revealed. "At least, that's what I'm hoping.."

Eleanor's phone dinged and she read over Will's notification quickly.

Prince William: Okay. Be safe. Call me as

Soon as you wake up. I'm really sorry

Eleanor.

She set her phone on the coffee table and reached for a handful of chips as Chris hesitantly started one of the movies he had chosen then another small notification brought her back to her phone. Thinking it was William, only, it wasn't, she checked it.

A friend-request from an Eva Mohn flashed. Eleanor scrolled through what was available and found that she had indeed been good friends with Ingrid. For whatever reason she wasn't anymore. Drama. Eleanor accepted her friend-request and returned her attention to the movie.

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A/N Hey! Another update. I know it's short, but it's only a filler. I hope you enjoy. xx