on the steps

All Ellie could do was to wait on the steps at Eric's building. He was still out running. No one was at home. God, she hoped he was still out running. She kept hugging herself as her stomach grumble and the tears still wouldn't go away. The headache was just slight now, and somehow she'd gained some strength just running all the way to his place. It felt like freedom in her gray sweat pants and hoodie.

But the cement was beginning to be hard on her ass, and she thought of a thousand reasons why she shouldn't be here. She didn't even have her cell with her.

Finally, she saw him coming in, but it was a slow walk. She'd hoped he would have ran, but he wasn't. He looked a bit out of it. He was holding his cell. But she didn't wait for him to ask her anything. She hugged him as hard as she could and cried into his shoulder. They didn't say anything for the longest time, but then he noticed someone trying to come out of the building.

"Maybe you should come up."

Naturally, when they got there, the hoodie and then the shoes came off first in his room. They started to kiss, and it was the only thing that felt right in her life. Being with Eric. She couldn't let this thing with her Mom come between them.

"I'm sorry. I can't believe I did that. I don't do things like that. I don't," Ellie told him.

"I know," Eric sighed. "It must have been big."

"It was ugly," Ellie said. "My mother is teaching the only class I really wanted this semester."

"Really?" Eric kept brushing his fingers through her hair. "I didn't see her anywhere, today."

"I let her have it," Ellie said. "I just couldn't stop myself. She's not suppose to be my teacher. She's suppose to be with my sister. I thought that's what she wanted. But there she was in my sewing class. It was horrible."

"Horrible?"

"I was the one who was horrible. Not her. I know I said some things I probably can't take back." Ellie shook her head, no. "Why am I like this?"

"You're not a mean person, Ellie." Eric told her.

"You don't think so?"

"OK, you get into with Roxie, but you know, she asks for it, and I kind of like that about you." Eric smiled. "But you're a reasonable person, for the most part, but you did scare me. You really did, I never saw you like that before."

"I know," Ellie nodded. "I can't believe I reacted like that. I wouldn't have. I wouldn't. Its just I want to blame it all on Mom. But I shouldn't. I know she doesn't get it. She doesn't even get me. And I know its not worth it. Its not. And I'm not ever gonna let her do this to me again."

They kissed. Just kissed. Finally he wrapped his arms around her and they snuggled in bed. Ellie fell asleep.