Chasing Ellie

28. Friends & Denim

Ellie Hope

It's an odd thing. The saying of "friends will come and go". It makes the action sound so simple. So easy.

It's not though. And I guess maybe I don't know if Savannah is completely gone. Maybe we're on a break. I don't know though, she'd have to be speaking to me for me to know for sure.

But I do know that I keep forgetting, that I feel myself want to fall into the normal rhythm of meeting up with her in the hall, listening to her go on about whatever her latest art project is.

There's a dull ache in my chest every time I remember she still hasn't spoken to me. And it's not like I haven't tried. I've been texting. I've also called but she let me go to voicemail where of course I spilt my heart out. She either hasn't listened or she truly does hate me.

Public service announcement: losing a friend hurts.

But in the meantime while I teeter between a full on broken heart and just a crack, I might as well make a new friend. And who better than Darren Hannigan?

He's easy to spot in the hallway, his height and light hair make him basically glow under the fluorescent lights.

And lucky for me he's alone. God if he was with Sawyer, there's no way I'd walk up to him. I put a little pep in my step and slip between some underclassman. And as if I do this everyday to Darren, I link arms with him and start in on the conversation.

"Did you know that the pinky finger is actually pretty important." I say, glancing up at him as he stares at me like a deer in headlights. "You can lose 50% of your hand strength if you break our promise."

We walk with the flow of our peers navigating the crowded halls.

"It'd definitely be a problem for baseball." I continue on. "Probably all the sports really. What else do you play?"

"I uh..." he stammers as we round the corner, our two very separate friend groups coming into view. Maybe it's a little selfish of me but I keep my arm linked with Darren's and my eyes locked on Wes, Laurel and Brett. "Just baseball."

"Hmm really? I would have pegged you as a multiple sports guy." I tell him.

His head shakes furiously, swallowing hard and I watch all the muscles contract in his neck.

"I'm no doctor but I'm pretty sure playing multiple sports is actually better for you."

As I say it, I lock eyes with Savannah as we pass Darren's friends. She and James are still lingering by Sawyer and his crew. Her gray eyes are wide, lips in a straight line and I wish I knew for sure if this was forever or just a temporary thing.

I hate not knowing.

I don't get long to fixate on it as Darren says "I don't really like sports."

"You what?!" My attention refocuses on him, my free hand reaching up to grasp his arm that my other arm is linked through.

He's a little rigid beside me, flighty feeling. But I don't let go, my thoughts trying to make sense of this information because Peter was all about sports. Sawyer is all about Baseball. Ben and Caden play. Even James. And even though I don't follow our school sports all that closely I know that Darren is one of the players that everyone talks about.

Things like "if Darren wasn't on the team we'd be screwed" or "did you see the hit from Darren last night" or any other praise at his skill. If they're not talking about Sawyer, they're talking about Darren.

Darren shrugs his shoulders, not giving me a verbal answer and I'm baffled.

"Then why do you play?" I question as we reach Wes, Laurel and Brett.

"Uh...I-I don't know." He answers.

His blue eyes lock with mine for a brief moment before they drop to the floor and his face flushes.

It makes heat rush through my body, laughter bubbling up inside of me until a grin splits across my face.

"Darren's going to sit with us at lunch today." I announce. "Right?"

He looks a little startled at my announcement and of course Brett has to chime in and say "you're supposed to ask people Ellie, not tell."

It grants me a smile from Wes and I grin. Brett is such a grumpy old dad.

"Hi Darren." Laurel waves her fingers that are clenched around her books. Of course she's sporting Wes' denim jacket.

"Did you know the first denim jacket was created circa 1880 by designer and entrepreneur Levi Strauss? Ten years prior in 1870 is when he created denim jeans." Darren spits the facts out in one breath.

Wes tics a couple times in a row throughout Darren's monologue and I watch Laurel take his hand.

"Didn't Levi used to make clothes for prisons?" Brett asks like bringing up the history of denim jackets is a completely normal topic of conversation.

"From 1875 to 1901 actually." Darren responds. "But in 1898 the government contract went to Folsom."

My eyes meet Laurel's and she looks just as amused as I do. Who knew that the Brain would find his match.

Wes tics again and all of us glance in his direction before Brett looks up at the clock on the wall. Our momentary distraction of denim has put us just a fraction behind and Wes feels it.

"Come on, I'm starving." My arm still linked through Darren's, I link arms with Brett who's been flying more solo than you'd think after coming out.

Partially coming out I suppose. Maybe one foot out the door is more realistic.

And as I walk down the hallway, Laurel and Wes behind us and me sandwiched between Darren and Brett, it almost feels normal. It almost feels like Darren was supposed to be apart of our group before this. We're a little band of misfits and he seems to blend right in.

The only problem is, we're still missing Savannah. And because we're missing Savannah, we're also missing James.

—————————

Oh will the group ever reconnect?