tea stained newpapers. mileven au.

sixteen.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN:
TRIPPING, FALLING.
EL'S POV.

"oh eleanor, you're so full of shit right now."

the brunette giggled as she fell back onto her bed, her honey locks sprawling effortlessly across her bright red pillow cases, "i am not!"

it had only been three days since mike and el's adventure around new york. truth be told, the artist had an amazing time exploring the city, going places she had never heard of and spending time not worrying about the real reason she was in the big apple. unfortunately, the day had come and gone too fast for her liking, her thoughts suddenly consumed by the events that occurred only a few days ago.

well more specifically, her thoughts were consumed by the particular writer boy who accompanied her.

it was the way he was so extremely kind, so willing to take the time out of his busy schedule just make her feel better. the way he genuinely cared and took care of her even though they hadn't really known each other for that long. the way he opened up to her so effortlessly and allowed her to see a side of him that no one else besides lucas probably has seen.

to her, the fact that he had even given her his trust was enough to make her insides instantly melt, her heart burning intensely from the heat. it was almost as if everytime she thought about him her mind would fog up like a car windshield in the cold, only allowing her to see the beautiful shadows of what could be in front of her.

it was a terrifying feeling really. probably one of the scariest things she had ever felt in her entire life.

yet, she couldn't get enough of it.

of course, it should be mentioned that they hadn't talked much since hanging out together. not that she was expecting him to be knocking on her door the next morning begging to see her again... but it would have been nice to possibly receive a text or maybe even a phone call. you know, just to talk.

it bummed her out a bit, but at least she could always depend on max to call her in a time of need.

"he took you to some of his favorite places in new york." the red head's voice drowned through artist's phone speakers, her tone obvious and quite frankly unamused. "i dunno about you but i think he lik - "

"he's just a decent human being, maxine." el interjected, rolling over to prop herself up on her elbows before twisting a strand of her golden hair around her finger, "just because he's being nice to me doesn't mean anything."

there was an audible laugh that resonated in the small girl's ears, echoing loudly throughout her childhood bedroom as her bestfriend took a moment to catch her breath, "bullshit."

"MAX!"

"what?! i'm just being honest, why is it such a big deal?" the fiery redhead defended, making the honey orbed girl bite the inside of her cheeks in attempt to stop them from flooding beet red.

it wasn't a big deal? was she acting like it was a big deal?

no, she definitely was not... right?

el could her the distinct click of a cup being placed on a counter in the background, max clearing her throat a bit as if she was waiting for a suitable answer to her question. but of course, when the artist seemed to struggle with finding a response, her best friend decided it was the perfect opportunity to push things further.