Sex, Chocolate, Rock N Roll

/ / 8. TALK! / /

Classes were a blur, each and every day all Ellie could think about was Matty. Breaking up with Andrew was too difficult...so she hadn't. His stupid excuse for not showing up to the guy's gig was that he had to help take care of his grandmother. Her grades had dropped, and with all the money her parents paid the university for her to attend, they'd lecture her day in and day out about how much of a let down she had been. Holly, didn't answer her phone at all, and she'd sent her parents to answer the door each and every time she'd rung their doorbell.

She packed her books into her backpack and waited in the slowed line out the classroom door. The conversations around her grew muffled, as she couldn't keep her own mind quiet. It was as if her thoughts screamed at her inside, rather than simply spoke. She finally made her way out of the door, down the hall's everlasting staircase, and through the exit. Seeing Matty's van parked right in front.

Her jaw dropped slightly, he smirked, his head sticking out of the window as he puffed on a cigarette, in his usual leather jacket. She looked around, confused, hurrying over to him.

"What are you doing here?" She asked quietly.

"Picking you up, get in." He said.

"What? Matty, we still can't risk being seen by anyone." She said quietly.

"Then hurry up and get in before we do." He shrugged.

Ellie sighed, refraining a smile and running to the other side, getting into the passenger's seat and shutting the door.

Matty started the car up, easing out of parking and heading onto the road.

"Do you know how awkward I feel in front of Alex now?" He looked over at her, stopping and waiting for the car crossing, one hand on the wheel.

"What for? It's not like he's my father, Matty." Ellie laughed.

"I know, I know. But still." He shrugged, "so, there's a party tonight. At Alyssa's."

"And you and my brother and everyone else will be going, right? Cool." Ellie looked out of the window, just imagining the scene. Older girls for him to drool over, sex, and drugs.

"Yeah...but I was gonna ask if you want to come?"

"Alex wouldn't possibly let me come." She shook her head.

"So? Tell him you're with me." Matty said, making a swift turn.

"You tell him? He'll think I'm bothering you and say no."

Matty sighed, "then he'll suspect things."

Ellie laughed, leaning her head back against the head rest. Matty looked at her, then back at the road, "what's so funny?" He smiled.

"What are we doing?" She asked.

"I dunno." He said, "I just want to spend time with you, don't you mind?"

There was a sudden flutter in her stomach, butterflies. She looked at him and shook her head, "I don't..."

"Good. Oh yeah your brother forgot his wallet at my place the other day. Can we just pick it up and you can give it to him for me?"

Ellie nodded, with no hurry to get back home anyway. All she had to look forward to was her parents nagging her about school work and deadlines. The pain of reality was unbearable. She didn't want to face it.

They passed up her house and made another turn, the wind brushing against her face through the open window. Each whiff of it filling her with a sense of peace.

They pulled up to the house and Matty made his way into the driveway, parking and stopping the car.

"Alright, I'll just run in and go get it." He said, opening his door and stepping out.