The Thing About Timing (The Becoming of Elliott Goode)

Chapter 37

Over the next few days, Elliott had decided to keep her distance from Cordelia, at least as much as she could. During the day it was relatively easy, Cordelia stayed in her office working and Elliott kept to the library. Cordelia was keeping her word on pulling Elliott out of school, she wasn't allowed anywhere near the classes, which meant she had to avoid the greenhouse for the majority of the day, and it was driving Elliott nuts. So nuts she ran out of things to do around the house and succumbed to watching soap operas during the day, and worse, she was starting to like them. Since she really didn't have anything else to do, she mostly chose to sit outside with Max and talk to David on the phone. Normally, she would have asked Cordelia to go visit him, but considering the events that had transpired, Elliott wasn't in the mood to ask Cordelia about anything, so that meant no visits.

It wasn't like the two didn't talk at all, they did, but it was extremely limited. So limited, in fact, that it fell into two categories: Cordelia trying to apologize, and Cordelia telling Elliott to do something. The first took up a much larger chunk of conversation than the latter, as the latter was Cordelia asking Elliott to do something and her just doing it, it was easier than arguing. Cordelia trying to apologize was where it got dicey, and it never ended well. It was obvious the older witch was still upset, so her attempts to apologize didn't exactly sit well with Elliott, it seemed more for her own peace of mind as opposed to her actually meaning it. Frankly, Elliott wasn't ever really sure she would believe the woman even if she gave her the time to apologize, regardless of the circumstances. Usually, Cordelia would try to initiate the conversation, and Elliott would shut it down immediately, which would result in Cordelia continuing to push until one of them snapped and they fought, at which time one of the witches, usually Misty, would break it up and the two would avoid each other until bedtime. It was a routine everyone at the house had gotten used to, and it was trying on all of them.

Cordelia was at her wits end with the entire thing, finally cornering Elliott one night in the library. "Elliott, will you just let me talk?" She asked, staring at the young witch.

"No." Elliott responded, not even looking up from her book.

"I just want to apologize..." Cordelia began before Elliott quickly looked up and cut her off.

"I don't want your apology." She said firmly, giving the supreme a hard stare.

"Elle, we've done this a hundred times and every time it just ends in a fight." Cordelia tried again, her tone irritated.

"So then let's not do this. Problem solved." Elliott responded, turning her attention back to her book.

"It doesn't have to be this way." Cordelia said sharply, tired of the girl's attitude.

"Do you still think I'm lying?" Elliott asked pointedly, Cordelia sitting silent, "Then it does have to be this way."

"If you would just let me explain myself..." Cordelia began, only to be cut off again.

"You made yourself perfectly clear the first time." Elliott said shortly. Normally, she would have just gotten up and walked away, but she really was sick of having to change what she was doing just to avoid the older witch. It wasn't like there was much she could do to begin with.

"Elle, I was mad. I didn't..." Cordelia said.

"You what? Didn't mean it? You meant it. Every fucking word." Elliott said, her voice dropping to a mutter at the last bit.

"Language." Cordelia said sternly, Elliott throwing her a glare before rolling her eyes.

"Just quit. I don't want to hear it. You aren't sorry, you just want to make yourself feel better about it, and right now I really don't care. You said what you said, whether you meant it or not." Elliott said harshly, her eyes blazing as she looked at the woman in the doorway.