Ella

‘’Where are you?’’ His voice sounded gruff on the phone, as if he’d just woken up.

‘’Where I always am’’ I said, not paying attention to the conversation but to the sound of the waves and the little kids near the shore.

‘’Mother is summoning you, apparently Yoona needs help with organic chemistry.’’ He replied, I could decipher he was trying to put on his sneakers and comb through his dark locks at the same time. His phone on speaker as he attempted to multitask. I giggled a little in my mind picturing his lanky but built self, stumbling through the mess he called his ‘’workspace’’ in order to find a reasonably fresh t-shirt.

He was too tall for his room, the basement had been given to him because his mother wanted to use his room as a parlour, a place where her high society friends could gather and gossip their afternoons away. He never addressed her affectionately, stating he was doing his best calling her mother in public rather than step mother. He hated her. That was all there was to it. It never even required an explanation, how could a woman who replaced his own mama ever be given the same love? How could a woman who married his exuberant but submissive father, for riches, ever be worth a title that did not speak of her occupation in the most bitter way? He missed her, though he never spoke of it. No one bothered enough to look behind those thick rimmed glasses, into the eyes that glossed over every time someone mentioned her. They assumed the small smile he gave a few times a year was enough to show that, he was alright and over it.

Pushing those thoughts aside I answered, ‘’I’ll be right over but only if you come to pick me up’’. I looked down as I spoke, trying to hide the obvious blush creeping up my cheeks from the abyss in front of me He scoffed and I heard it all too clearly.

‘’I am pretty sure you only ever come here so you can make me take you home.’’ he said as he slumped down next to me.