Selena
"We can't take this car to the spa or the mall," Ella said, her voice tinged with disdain. "It would be downright embarrassing."
"Please, let's just get off already," I replied, my tone flat and tired.
We walked into the cafeteria next to the library, the comforting scent of baked bagels and freshly brewed coffee filling the air, but my mind was elsewhere. My eyes kept darting toward the library entrance, searching for a glimpse of Stanley.
"Are you expecting to see someone else here?" Ella asked, her voice teasing as she poked me in the side.
I blinked, startled, then quickly replied, "Uhm, yeah… sorry, no!" I trailed off, not really paying attention to her, my focus still on the entrance. "I'm just looking for a quiet spot where we can settle down without anyone overhearing us."
Ella raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "For someone who spends every day in the library, I'm sure you already have a spot in mind. But let's sit near the window, at the far end."
I glanced at the table she pointed to, and my eyes immediately landed on three men sitting at a nearby table. As soon as I looked back at her, I saw the gleam in her eyes as heart-shaped sparks practically floated around her.
Shaking my head, I replied, "Excuse you, didn't you hear me when I said I needed privacy? And you're choosing the spot by the window, right next to those guys? Come on, be honest. You're only picking that spot because of them."
Ella's eyes widened, and she shook her head in mock denial, but the mischievous twinkle in her gaze gave her away. "Well, they're not bad looking, but that's not even why I chose this spot," she said, her voice light but playful.
"Fine," I sighed, giving in. "But you're giving me your full attention, promise?" I nudged her gently. At least this way, I could still see everyone around me, so a small compromise wouldn't hurt.
"Scouts honor," Ella replied excitedly as we walked toward the seats. "Alright, I'm all ears. You've really been out of it lately. How unbearable is it?" There was real concern in her voice now.
I sighed deeply, my sadness creeping into my voice. "It looks like my Victor has something up his sleeve," I said.
Ella's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked, "He was never good to you. How is this any different?"
"Well," I hesitated, "he's never really gotten involved in my life before. I'm wondering why the sudden interest now." I shook my head, expecting no answer. "I'm still dealing with Mom wanting her car back, then Victor grounds me for being 'rude,' as he calls it. Like, is that a thing adults do?"
"Oh, that explains why we used my car," Ella reasoned, a knowing look in her eyes.
"Now you're getting it," I said, feeling a mix of relief and frustration. "I've been thinking a lot lately. And I've had enough. So, I've decided... I'm moving out."
Ella's eyes widened. "What about your mom?" she asked, concern lacing her words. "You can't just leave her in that miserable place."
"She'll manage without me," I said, my voice firm but hollow. "I'm the one who doesn't fit in there. I need peace. A full second of it. Being there is too much. Staying there just... doesn't feel possible anymore. I need your help, Ella," I begged, reaching for her hands, leaning forward.
"Anything you want," she said, her tone soft but unwavering.
"Just let me stay with you for a while. Let me figure everything out. I promise I'll move out as soon as I find a place," I pleaded, my voice breaking with the weight of it all.
"Look what we got here," Ella said with a grin, her eyes sparkling. "I've been asking you to come stay with me for ages, and here you are, pleading."
She crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes, but I couldn't help the small smile that tugged at my lips.
I looked up at her, my eyes pleading. "Is that a yes?" I asked.
"Of course, silly! You're my best friend," Ella exclaimed, her voice bright with excitement. "But, you know Greg comes over like... every now and then, right?"
"Uh-huh," I nodded, trying to keep up. Greg was Ella's boyfriend.
"He doesn't sleep over though," Ella added with a mischievous grin, "I don't like a man in my space, you know, except for you, of course. But I need to know if you can handle the bang-bang action."
"Come on, girl!" I said, brushing her hands off mine. "You don't need to fill me in on that. I already knew before I asked to stay with you. I'll try to stay out of your way as much as possible before you corrupt my innocent soul."
Ella stood up, coming to stand in front of me. She palmed my cheek gently, a serious look in her eyes.
"You need to break out of your shell, homegirl. You know you can't find a man when you're always dressed in hoodies and cardigans," she said with a teasing smirk.
"Well, the truth remains…" I started, but was interrupted when I saw someone familiar across the room. "Hold on a second," I said to Ella.
I squinted, then froze. Stanley was there, talking to another guy, laughing at something he was saying. I could feel my heart skip a beat.
"What is it?" Ella asked, turning to see what I was looking at. "Ooh! Now I know."
I tilted my head away from her, trying to hide the smile threatening to break through. "Now you know what?" I asked, glancing back at Stanley.
"Why you would choose a seat where you can see anyone coming and going from the cafeteria," Ella replied, raising an eyebrow.
"Just give me a moment, please," I said, getting up from the table.
She shrugged, distracted by her phone, and I walked away quickly, trying to calm my nerves.
"Stanley, right?" I asked when I reached them.
Stanley tilted his head, his eyes lighting up with recognition. "Hey, stranger," he said, flashing me a smile. "I remember you. From the library, right?"
"Yeah," I replied, a little nervous. "I wasn't expecting to see you here again."
He lifted his left foot, smiling at me. "Neither was I."
His friend whispered something in his ear, and Stanley nodded, then turned back to me.
"He wants to know if you were the lady up on the stage with the boss," Stanley said, his voice light.
I raised my head and took a good look at his friend. "I'm sure he can speak English, but yes, that was me," I said, keeping my tone casual.
The friend smiled, clearly amused. "I sure can, but this wasn't my conversation to begin with. I'm Jordan," he added, extending a hand to greet me.
I shook his hand with a wry smile. "Nice meeting you, Jordan."
Turning to Stanley, I pointed at him, then gestured to the library. "Do you work here?"
"Oh no," Stanley said, shaking his head. "I just volunteered for the event. My friend here works at the library. I'm an intern at Panders Homes and Construction, so we're here selling some of our boss's books. I'm a data analyst... or soon to become one."
"Nice," I said, nodding. The conversation was easy, but my mind was racing.
As I stood there, I heard footsteps approaching behind me. I quickly pulled out my phone and passed it to Stanley.
"I'd love to call you sometime, yeah?" I said, making sure to keep my voice steady.
Stanley caught on immediately and inputted his number, nodding in understanding. Before Ella could get to us, I turned around, waving at them both. "See you around, Stanley. You too, Jordan."
I quickly walked towards Ella who was almost at Stanley's table, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her along. "Just wave," I whispered urgently.
To my surprise, she did as I asked, giving a small wave as we made our way back to our table.
Once we started gathering our things to leave, Ella couldn't contain her curiosity. "What was that all about?" she asked, her voice tinged with confusion as she picked up her purse, "I just wanted to say 'hi' to them."
"No need," I said.
"Why's that?" Ella asked.
I smiled, the excitement bubbling up inside me. "Let's just say... things are about to get interesting."