phone calls

It was well after dark, and Aunt Maggie was in bed before Ellie could make do in the front room for her own space. She kept holding it under her breath, but it really sucked to be here. She had the front door to worry about which she doubted really locked. There was an ancient fireplace to deal with along with all the other artifacts hanging on the wall. Family she never knew and an actual bull's horn which she supposed was actually a horn for blowing, but who would really want to know if worked. The place was so dusty.

She hesitated to get in to her clothes to sleep in. She could imagine anyone looking in. The curtains were pretty bare. But she found Eric's blue briefs in her bag. He said it was fair since he did have her bra. She quickly pulled off her undies, put on the briefs under the apron. Then it was time to get into something comfortable, he'd sent along a cheap sleep tank top, as well. She felt a little better after splashing some cold water on her face.

Finally, she called Eric. He picked up on the first ring.

"Thank God." The relief in his voice made her smile.

"What are you doing?"

"Staring at my cell phone," he said.

"For how long?"

"You don't want to know, " he said. "Whats it like there?"

"Just dandy," she sarcastically remarked. "I hate it. My allergies are horrible. My Aunt hates me because she thinks I'm a Mexican, as if that's the worst thing in the world. And somebody my mother knows will come out and check on us once a day. I suppose. It stinks. Really. I don't know what I'm doing here. I don't know why it had to be me."

"Its all my fault," Eric said. "Is there something I can do? Can I talk to your mother. Maybe she'll-"

"No, no, don't talk to her. Just leave well enough. We'll get through this somehow. We will."

"I'm the one suppose to be cheering you up," Eric's voice was about to choke.

"You are OK, aren't you?"

"Of course." He muttered.

"I miss you. I miss you so much." And she did. It was the truth. It hurt not to have his arm around her. Not to actually see how his eyes could dance with happiness in an instant then to be so serious the next.

"I miss you more. I do. I don't know what to do. I don't even know if ate dinner tonight." His words were muttled.

Her nose felt like cement and the heavy feeling spread under her eyes. She could hardly breathe. She began to cry. She wanted to stay on the cell with him, but all she could manage was listening to him tell her that he loved her. She could feel her voice struggling to say it back. She meant it. Every syllable. Finally she clicked off the call. She hugged the extra pillow for the longest time as she pulled back the sheets and laid across the hot bed. It was miserable.

Ellie looked through her texts. Reread every text of Eric's. Then she noticed one from Rex. She wouldn't open it. And then there was one from Kyle.

Srry I mde u md.

That was all. What was that suppose to mean? She finally found herself breathing normally. No more tears. She called Kyle.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey, yourself. So how's Texas?"

"Horrible," she said.

"Hey, they could have sent me. I would love it." His voice was cool as if nothing had ever happened as if years had passed, perhaps.

"I know."

"You'll be all right," Kyle said as if she needed to hear it.

"I don't know-"

"Don't worry about Eric. I'll check up on him. Make sure he behaves while you're away," Kyle told her.

"You never behave, why would you-"

"Because. Because I like Eric, and he's a total idiot for you," Kyle said.

Ellie didn't know what to say. "Thanks." She finally said.

"So?"

"So what?"

"Aren't you gonna ask me about Roxie?"

"Must I?"

"You have to start giving people a chance, you know that," Kyle told her.

"Have you forgotten? She doesn't like me," Ellie said.

"In case you've forgotten, this isn't about you. Its not always about you." Kyle informed her.

"Are we still talking about Roxie, or something else?" She was certain he was talking about himself.

"That's not important."

"Are you still drinking all those energy drinks all the time? Are you? Are you not eating? Are you cutting?" She wanted to know.

"God, you make me sound like a girl!" He started in on her. "And you know you're not my mother. I'm fine. Roxie's is-is cool. I don't want to hear one bad thing about her. She likes me. She's nice to me. Just get used to it." He was quiet then. "All right?"

"OK."

"You call me if you get in some kind of fix you can't fix," he told her.

"Like what?"

"How to make hash browns. Stuff like that," he said.

"Maybe I will."

"You better," he said. "Now go to sleep. You better get up early in the morning."

Ellie had her doubts she could sleep at all. But after they finished talking, she turned the lights out. It was a wall of darkness. She'd never been in a room so dark. And there were noises from outside. Quiet noises of bugs, birds and animals. She couldn't take it. Ellie jumped up, turned on the lamp and looked on the walls for scorpians. Then she turned on the fan.

She got back in bed and hugged her pillow. She shut her eyes tight, imagining Eric was here. It was the only way she could go to sleep. Finally she dozed off. But then she felt something brushing up against her face. She held her breath with a shiver. Two paws stretched over her shoulder. Ellie let out a breath then, looking back over her shoulder. It was a Maine coon. He purred in her ear.