splinter

Ellie had a slight headache. Maybe all she really needed was some sleep. OK, a lot of sleep. Really, she was more exhausted than she thought. Ellie wasn't sure if she could even move now from the couch in the livingroom. They were watching TV, she and Eric at Ben's.

"Where have you been?" Kyle came from outside holding his cell, with the keyboard in place.

"We haven't been anywhere," Eric shrugged.

"You should check out the hayloft, sometime." Kyle said plopping himself in one of the cushioned chairs and texting back to Roxie.

"Oh really?" Ellie looked back at Eric and almost grinned. He squinted slightly and shook his head, no.

"I don't know, I'm not that great with heights," Eric sighed. Heights. Ellie didn't want to think about that at the moment.

"Don't be a chicken." Kyle said, but he was concentrating on his keyboard and a message from Roxie. Kyle got up then and went to the bathroom so he could call Roxie.

"I can't believe you said that," Ellie kissed him on the cheek then.

"Yeah, there's a few things I'm still finding hard to believe." He tried to remain even lipped but a smile slipped and then a calm laugh. "You are bad...in a good way."

"You just can't believe it happened," Ellie said. It felt good now cuddling, his arms around her.

"True." He nodded. "I'm just glad it wasn't on video or anything because it might freak us both out, you know."

"I don't know you were pretty hot at least from where I was, but then I was awful close," she explained, thinking now it had all been more comical than anything else. But she wouldn't want to laugh now.

"Really?"

"I think I have a splinter in my back." Ellie then mentioned. She'd wanted to say something earlier, but then she thought maybe she'd imagined it. Maybe it wasn't that bad. Maybe she didn't want to know.

"Are you serious?" He was going to check this out. He pulled up her tank top up her back. Eric didn't say anything.

"What is it?" Ellie sat straight up now. "Is it that bad? Its not a nail is it? Oh my God, I have a nail in my back?"

"No, no, its not that bad. Its not a nail. Its wood. I think. Pretty sure. But its big though," Eric told her.

"Well, get it out." Ellie whispered, but wanted to scream. It sounded awful. Just the thought made her squirm.

"Do I have too?"

"Yes."

Eric was chewing his thumb nail and staring.

"Well."

"I don't know. Who has a knife?"

"A knife? You wouldn't." Her eyes lit. Then she thought of everybody who was still out and about looking at Ben's animals. "I can't tell my Dad about this! I don't want Ben to know!" Her headache was intensifying. How come this hadn't bothered her when it actually happened. When they were in the hayloft..when.

She didn't want anyone to know about that. That it wouldn't have happened if she hadn't said anything to Eric."Wouldn't it be cool to do it right here, right now?" When would they ever be in a hayloft again? And didn't he know she needed him more than he ever did?

"God, I'm the worst person in the world," She was sure God must be punishing her with a splinter now. She'd been banking on spontaneity, and all was going pretty well except that snag when they bumped against the wall of the hayloft.

"No you're not."

"We could have fallen out of the hayloft." There was a moment she distantly remembered looking over the side of the barn. It was awesome. Almost, she thought, now.

"But we didn't, " He was pressing at the splinter now. "Next time we'll do it laying down."

"Ow, that hurt. That really hurt. What are you doing?" Ellie snapped pulling away.

"I'm trying to get it out."

"That's not helping." She shut her eyes tightly.

"All right," Eric stopped then. "I'll get Kyle. He'll know what to do."

"No, don't."

"He'll probably have a knife or something." He got up then and went to talk to Kyle in the bathroom.

"I don't know." Kyle and a knife, that sounded scary. She pulled her tank top back down. Now it hurt just knowing exactly where the splinter sat. She shivered slightly, waiting for Eric to come back. She wondered if she'd have to have a tetanus shot now.