Finding Elise

Chapter Twenty-two

     "Girls, I've been thinking that we should do something really fun for spring break." Amber said, coming into the living room. It was a week after the dance and the first time I had seen her. Blaine had been avoiding my house, so I had been spending most of my time, outside of classes, over at his place. I hated it, Amber was my friend and now every time we interacted it was awkward.

    "Spring break isn't until March." Tessa said, looking up from the book she was reading. "Why now?"

    "So we can have everything planned before all the good places are taken." Amber said, taking a seat next to Jackie on the big couch.

    "You sound like you have something in mind." I said.

    "I do." Amber nodded. "I have an aunt and uncle who has a vacation rental in Rocky Point. I've already asked if we could use it for a few days and they said yes." She grinned.

    "That sounds awesome. I'm totally in." Tessa said, snapping her book shut. "I'm too excited now to study."

    "That's really nice of your aunt and uncle." Jackie said.

    "Is it just the four of us or are you thinking of a big group?" I asked.

    Amber turned to look at me. "A big group would be fun but, I was actually thinking just the four of us. A girls' trip. Get away and reconnect."

    "Oh. Okay." I said.

    "Do you already have plans?" Amber asked. I knew she was asking about Blaine.

    "No," I said, truthfully. "but I would have to talk with my parents about it first."

    "I can give them my aunt's number if they want to talk to her or my uncle." Amber offered. "The condo is really nice and they have security as well so it's not like the four of us will be staying in a tent on the beach. We'll be safe."

    "Thanks." I said. "I'm sure they'll be fine. They let Claire go to Europe with friends her freshman year. I'm only asking to go barely out of the country."

    "You are their baby though." Tessa pointed out.

    "Yeah, which means I should get away with more." I grinned.

    "Touche." Tessa acknowledged, nodding her head.

    "Well it's settled then." Amber beamed. "Let's plan for spring break!"

*******************************

    "You're going where?" Blaine asked. It was later in the day and I had met up with him at a hole in the wall Mexican restaurant that served the best chips and salsa I had ever eaten.

    "Rocky Point, for spring break." I said, popping a spice covered chip in my mouth.

    "And your parents are okay with it?" Blaine raised his eyebrow, looking at me expectantly.

    "Yeah, I already talked to them. The four of us spent the morning hashing out the details and talking with our parents. It's all good." I said, taking another chip.

    "Well," Blaine started, leaning back in his chair. "I'm surprised you didn't think about talking with me before deciding to go."

    I stopped eating. "What do you mean? We didn't make any plans."

    Blaine rolled his eyes. "We didn't not make plans either." He pointed out.

    "Oh, I never thought about it like that." I said.

    "Who's idea was it to go on a road trip?" Blaine asked.

    His eyes pierced right into mine as if daring me to contradict what he already guessed. He was going to hate the answer. I squirmed in my seat, focusing intently on the menu.

    "Elise..." Blaine drawled.

    "Okay fine, it was Amber's." I reluctantly admitted.

    "I knew it." Blaine muttered. "She hates me."

    "She doesn't hate you. You guys just had an off night and no one's apologized yet." I said soothingly.

    Acting like a pair of children, honestly.

    "Hey, she attacked me." Blaine defended. "I did nothing wrong. She stuck her nose where it didn't belong."

    "Mmm hmm." I said nonchalantly, perusing the menu. I refused to be pulled into their argument. "What are you thinking about getting? I might branch out from my usual."

    "Elise." Blaine said, after a moment of silence, "Don't go."

    That got my attention. "What?"

    "Don't you see what Amber is doing?" Blaine questioned.

    "Uh, planning a fun girls' trip?" I said, probably a little too sarcastically.

    Blaine's eyes narrowed. "She's trying to get you away from me."

    I laughed. "Blaine, that's silly. We just want to go on a roommate trip, no malice towards you intended."

    "I don't know." Blaine insisted. "This trip seems to come out of nowhere and all of the sudden."

    I shook my head. "You're imagining things."

    "If I am, why don't you let me come with you?" Blaine suggested.

    "Because it's a girls' trip. No boys, no boyfriends. Jackie isn't bringing Dale." I countered.

    "I bet Amber would let her if they asked." Blaine grumbled. "This is about you and me, I just know it. Watch she'll probably sit you down at some point and tell you how much she cares about you, which is why she's telling you all this, and she'll end up saying that I'm no good for you and you can do better."

    I was flabbergasted. "Blaine that's not going to happen." I put my hand over his. "I love you, you know that."

    "So you say." Blaine said, his mouth turned down. He ran his hand through his curly hair and leaned back in his chair. "I don't like the thought of you being away from me for so long."

    "I promise to call and text everyday. I'll even bring my laptop. I'm sure we can skype." I said.

    "Show me all your sexy bikinis?" Blaine said, his lip twitching.

    "Blaine!" I blushed.

    "Kidding, sort of." He grinned and leaned forward. "Fine. I'm not happy about it but I guess it's okay. I had hoped we could spend that week together, just the two of us, no roommates, no school." He wiggled his eyebrows.

    "I'll make it up to you, promise." I said.

    "I'll be holding you to that." Blaine said as our waiter came up to take our order.

A/N

A little short, but since the last chapter was a beast, I decided to even things out here.