Chapter 5

            “What in the world are you doing here at this hour?” I whispered sternly. I slid up the window, quickly turning the lock free. She smiled a crooked smile at me that was somehow still incredibly charming. “You scared the living daylights out of me.” I sighed.

            “Think you can play doctor with me?” She chuckled. She looked down, holding up bruised and bloodied knuckles. My eyes widened and I couldn’t help but gasp.

            “Goodness, Ellie!” I exclaimed, keeping my voice quiet. I took her hand into mine and turned it every which way, my lips parted in shock. “What did you do?” I breathed out.

           “Long story, Evie,” she said simply. She climbed into my window, ducking her head down. Her dark brown hair grazed the top as she slipped inside. “So can you or not? Not like you have to but it might be helpful. I prefer sneaking back inside my house without blood on my hands.” She sighed.

            “I’ve got all day,” I muttered. I tugged her further inside and shut my window again, securing the latch as I shook my head.. “It’s too cold out for this…” I mumbled softly. I then dragged her over to the ensuite bathroom, pushing open the door. I turned on the hot water and ran her beat-up hand under it. The sink turned a light pink color under the stream of water as it trickled down the drain.

            “So…” I began awkwardly. “Is that your blood or…?”

            “Yes, Eve, it’s mine,” she scoffed with a smirk. “Most of it, anyways. I went into town with some friends, and ya know…those druggies downtown, man.”

           “You were seriously downtown at this hour? Els, that’s dangerous.” I reprimanded lightly. I pulled my lips into a tight line as cleaned off her hand with an alcohol wipe and shook my head.

            “I’m a dangerous woman, darling,” She snickered.

            “Right, ” I sighed sarcastically and rolled my eyes. I grabbed a bandage from the top shelf of the bathroom cabinet and began to gently wrap her hand a few times, my eyes scanning the movements of the twisting cloth.. I looked up into her green eyes, with a hint of brown, and sighed disapprovingly. “How do you always manage something?”

          “I know, I know. I don’t need the mom-talk, Evs.” Ellie insisted. She glanced around as I carefully wrapped the bandage around her hand, weaving it around her knuckles and joints. Only the very bottom of my ankles and feet were exposed in my night dress and even so, a shiver still ran down my spine.

          “It’s freezing…” I muttered as I cut the bandage and sat it back on the counter.

            “Yeah, seriously, it’s usually always burning hot in your house,” she hummed. “What happened?” She questioned.

            “Dad and Ivy got into a fight and Dad went to bed mad, so…no fire.” I shrugged. I switched on the warm water of the faucet to wash my hands under. It prickled against my frozen skin, washing the soap and cold away simultaneously.
          “You want me to start one?” She inquired.

            “Ellie…” I scoffed, grabbing a hand towel to get rid of the water. “You can’t just sneak around my house at midnight” I giggled
            “I’ll be good,” She murmured with a grin.

            “Dad’s a light sleeper-“

            “And I’m a lighter stepper. C’mon, aren’t you freezing? You’re shivering.” She persisted..

************************************************************************************

             “Quiet!” I hissed. Ellie waved a dismissive hand and rolled her eyes as she kneeled in front of the woodstove. She carefully grabbed two pieces of wood from the stack and managed to open the creaky door silently. Her large hand wrapped the pieces firmly as she placed them inside delicately, avoiding clatter. I stood there with my arms wrapped around myself, my teeth clashing in a dance between gritting and chattering.

            She lit a match, the flame flickering and flowing as it illuminated the dark living room. She threw it inside, her lips pulling together as she blew into the igniting fire. Every squeak and crack of the old house caused me to glance over my shoulder and bite at my lower lip anxiously.
When Ellie stood again she grabbed me by the wrist and carefully guided me back up the stairs. My skin tingled under the touch and my eyes fixated on the way she grasped my pale hand with her own tan one. We got to the clearing of the stairs where she turned right at my door and pushed it open, careful to keep it quiet. She knew the house like the back of her hand even if she’d only been here three times – with my parent’s knowledge, that was. They didn’t need to know about her visits, I told myself. I felt guilty sometimes but then again I didn’t care much, or so I would say.

            “You’re also not a quiet stepper, by the way,” I mumbled as I turned to Ellie. She huffed a laugh, closing the door silently behind us.
“Quiet enough,” she shrugged. The lock clicked on my door as she turned it left, leaning up against the frame. “Your dad didn’t come out with a shotgun, now did he?” She walked over to my bed and took a seat.

            “Whatever,” I scoffed, shuffling over to the edge of my bed.

            “You willing to let me stay here tonight?” Ellie requested. I sniffed and rolled over onto my stomach, pretending to be annoyed by it, but I was just hiding my smirk.

            “What’s wrong with your own bed?” I mumbled into my pillow sleepily, tugging my blanket up over my shoulders. Ellie was quiet for a moment, shifting on top of my white comforter. I felt her hand on my arm and I glanced up into her swirled green-brown eyes. Her thumb swiped over the blanket and over my pale skin, her tongue darting out to wet her lips. Then, she finally spoke and pulled her hand away as she straightened up.

            “Nothing,” she replied simply. She crawled into bed beside me, placing her bandaged and bruised hand behind her head as she laid back and sighed.

            “K…” I mumbled. Silence, again, besides the sounds of us breathing. “What really happened downtown…?” I questioned. There was another long moment of silence between us as Ellie fiddled with the leather of her belt. Her eyelashes fluttered in the moonlight, grazing her skin when she blinked. I wondered if she had heard me, but I didn’t repeat myself.

            “Nothing,” She repeated, grunting as she adjusted herself and wincing when her back grazed the headboard. I noticed. I didn’t comment.

            “K,” I repeated and simply closed my eyes with the image of her ingrained in my mind as it was most nights while I drifted off.