𝘤𝘰𝘸𝘣𝘰𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘧

ellie’s lungs squeezed as she exhaled air she didn’t have to spare, her eyes growing wide as they did a sweep of the living area, the sunlight penetrating through the windows exposing the dancing dust particles in the air. she walked up to an open box and reached in, pulling out a wooden frame. a picture of her and joel was snug inside, goofy smiles on their faces. cold condensation bubbling off the green beer bottle in joel’s hand, the other firm on ellie’s shoulder. she hadn’t spoken to joel since early yesterday morning when they had breakfast together. the conversation they had about her moving out from weeks ago was still fresh in her mind.

“i was helping a buddy of mine install some pipes in an apartment building across town” joel said as he planted himself on the firm material of the couch, remote sitting on his thigh as his eyes watched the side of ellie’s head, her eyes on the tv. “cool” ellie said absentmindedly, not sure we’re this conversation was going. “there’s a few vacancies, he says it the right time of year for moving” he continued, sitting up straighter. “mhm” ellie hummed with a nod. “maybe you’d wanna check it out?” joel said with an somehow audible raise of his brow. this made ellie turn to look at him. “why would i do that?” she asked.

“don’t you think it’s time for you to get your own place el?” joel asked, voice gentle. moving out wasn’t something they’ve discussed in the past. of course joel loved ellie and loved being under the same roof with her, but she needed a change. after all, you can’t expect to keep growing in a pot that’s too small. “um, i’ve uh, never really thought about it” ellie said quietly, her arms crossing over her chest. “i think it’d be good for you kiddo, having a place of your own. you could do whatever you like, have whatever company you’d like” joel’s voice started to perk up, his tone growing more convincing. “get out there and experience your first taste of adult life” ellie tucked the inside of cheek between her teeth, gnawing gently as she fell into thought.

“i’ll think about it”

ellie placed the frame in the middle of her tv stand, maybe seeing it when she’s binging shows late night will help her feel less homesick. but isn’t it weird to feel homesick in your own home?

—

the fluorescent lighting of the grocery store made ellie feel covered in spotlights, the janky wheel of her cart squeaking ever so often. she grabbed what she needed mindlessly, the end of the soft loaf of bread in her cart falling victim to a haphazardly thrown box of cereal. the random mix of foods in her cart made ellie feel somehow exposed. was it obvious she’s filling her fridge and cabinets for the first time? was it obvious she can’t cook and really has no idea what to get? was it obvious she had the diet of a child?

ellie continued to wander, dropping body wash and cleaning supplies into the metal basket, a display of shiny colorful bottles catching her eye. she took a turn and wandered into the alcohol section, a wide selection of beverages staring back at her. ellie eyes fluttered shut as she wiggled her finger around for a few seconds, eyes opening once her finger stopped. she reached for the first bottle in the direction of her fingers, burnt orange glass cold in her hand. sparkling wine? ellie thought, is that even a thing? “clearly” she muttered to herself as she placed the bottle in her cart and made her way to the checkout counter.

“find everything okay today?” the cashier asked with a cheery smile making the corner of ellie’s mouth turn up awkwardly. “uh yeah” she nodded as she placed her hand in the pocket of her jeans, the plastic of her card greeting her fingers. “$156.32 is your total for today, will that be cash or card?” the cashier said looking up at ellie who had wide eyes. “card” ellie said simply as she passed the plastic to her reluctantly. the chime of a complete transaction was almost mocking to ellie’s ears, the receipt printing soon after. the cashier passed ellie her card and she stuffed it back in her pocket, the material somehow feeling lighter than before.

—

ellie’s foot pressed against the elevator button marked with a 3 before leaning back against wall with a huff. the plastic of the bags left angry red marks against her skin, the vein protruding on her left hand thumping under the weight of the items. the elevator stopped with a small hiss, the doors opening to reveal the hallway to her place. ellie started down the hallway, the barking of one of her neighbors dogs soaking through their closed door.

ellie sat her bags on the floor in front of her door, taking a moment to crack her knuckles with a huff before fishing her keys from her pockets. her slender fingers made quick work of unlocking the door and pushed it open gently. she picked her up her bags and walked through the threshold, kicking it closed with her right foot and locking it behind her. she put the bags on her counter with a thud, the clank of the glass bottle making her still in fear that she broke it. she took the bottle out and inspected it before placing it down safely on the kitchen island.

the sound of a patio door sliding across its track made ellie still again as her eyes floated to her balcony. the shadow of a figure danced on the concrete, the sound of falling water following soon after. ellie hadn’t met her neighbors yet and honestly she wasn’t excited to do so. small talk was always awkward for her. the shadowed figure retreated back inside, the splash of water droplets on concrete the only proof of activity.

ellie released a breath as she put her groceries away, her fridge and cabinets a lot less bare than before.

—

“ellie williams trying something new? i never thought i’d see the day” dina teased through the phone making ellie roll her eyes, a “shut up” tumbling past her chapped lips in response. ellie licked a stray grain of rice off her fingers, three out of the eight pieces of sushi gone from her platter. the fizz of the sparkling wine bubbled softly in her ears as she lifted the glass to her lips and took a sip, a satisfied hum in her throat at the taste. "have you thought about having a housewarming party? i know you probably need some more decorations" dina asked, adding stuff to her amazon cart she was planning on gifting ellie.

"i'm not sure about a party, but you and jesse coming over sounds cool" ellie answered honestly. she wasn’t really in the party type of mood but she’d love to see her friends. "i'd love to see what you've done with the place" dina said with a smile making ellie laugh, air blowing through her nose. “oh shit jesse’s calling, if it’s about his dick being stuck again i swear to god” dina groaned making ellie cackle. it felt good to laugh.

—

the moon hung high in the sky as she padded onto her side of the balcony, her weight falling into a plush chair joel got her as a gift. a joint hung loosely from her fingers waiting to be lit as she crossed her legs and took a deep breath, the cool breeze caressing her skin. the earthy smell of plants traveled on the wind, her eyes looking at the array of plants on the other side of the balcony as her thumb flicked the purple lighter in her hand, three consecutive clicks producing a tangerine flame. the end of her joint started to burn smoothly as ellie took two deep puffs, warmth blooming in chest. thin tendrils of smoke emitted from amber end of the blunt, curling high into the air before dancing clear into the atmosphere.

ellie turned her head towards the sound of the sliding door, the figure from earlier coming into view. the stranger light a blunt of their own, a fruity smell from their rolling paper starting waft through the air blending with the earthiness of ellie’s own. ellie’s low eyes examined the figure from top to bottom. long lashes brushed the tops of ample cheeks, the outline of plump lips illuminated by the gentle moonlight. the outline of a soft chest blanketed by a thin gray top, the material moving with the wind. outstretched legs barely covered by yellow sleep shorts, the wave of goosebumps crashing down their soft legs down to their bare feet, toenails painted with white polish.

ellie wandering eyes floated back up only to be met with the strangers own, making her eyes snap to the concrete beneath them. ellie felt her neck grow warm at the sound of a chuckle. “hello” the voice greeted, slightly raspy. ellie looked back at her, a hello of her own escaping her lips. “are you new here?” they questioned, gesturing their head towards the building. “yeah, just moved in today” ellie said.

“what your name?” the pretty stranger asked tuning completely in their chair to face her. “ellie, uh, ellie williams” ellie responsed, her voice trailing to whisper. did she need to say her last name? “nice to met you ellie, i’m y/n” you said, extending your hand to her. ellie’s long arm easily reached yours, the rings decorating her fingers cold against your skin.

a flutter of electricity flew down ellie’s spine at the contact, the blunt long forgotten and burning steadily in her hand. y/n, y/n, y/n. your name swirled in ellie’s mind like a mantra, echoes of your voice soft and sweet inside her head. she watched as you took another puff of you blunt, the ghostly smoke leaving your lips twirling around the smoke leaving the tip of her blunt, ascending towards the sky.