TKB - The Time Apart

Chapter 8 - Elle's Sophomore Year

Elle POV

I'm back at USC for fall term, and fortunately, I'm back to living with Alex again.  Lee was leaving a few days after I moved in, so he helped me with the move in this year.  I learned my lesson last year, and probably brought half the amount of stuff I brought with me last year.  He got to stay for the night, and Alex, Lee and I went out for a Hibachi dinner, followed by dancing at a club nearby.  It was a nice way to break in the new school year, with my best friend from home, and my new best friend from school.

Alex and I had really gotten close last year, and we had a lot in common. She was a total goofball, played soccer all through school, and hung out with mostly guys - until she got to college and met the one and only Elle Evans.  She lost her dad to cancer when she was younger, so we both had gone through that pain of losing a parent.  She just 'got me', you know?  We didn't have any classes together, but that was just as well, because we were pretty much inseparable when we weren't in class.  

In October, when it was Noah's birthday, it was Alex who dragged me away from my phone, where I'd write him a message, just to delete it a moment later, and then write something again. Its not like I texted him all of last year...but then again, last year we really weren't in a good place. Now, we're in no place at all.  After 30 minutes of this, Alex had enough, pulled my phone out of my hand, and took me out for ice cream. You know, because ice cream fixes everything, right?  

The following weekend, June and I had our now-annual girls weekend in Napa.  This year, we decided to invite Linda as well.  I know that Linda knew my mom when they were younger, but it was only on this trip when I learned that Linda and June had actually spent some time together with my mom, way before my mom and dad met.   While the 3 of us were enjoying some time in the sauna between spa sessions, Linda was sharing some stories about my mom and June in their college days - apparently they had a bit of a wild side that had been hidden from me for too many years.  I even learned about my mom's fake ID that she and June would use to get into bars - what????  Not having my mom around has been really hard, but I'm learning some new things about her, and honestly, that fake ID story made me feel just a little bit closer to her.    It was bittersweet talking to Linda and June about my mom, but it was wonderful having them both in my life.  It had been feeling like I was less and less part of the Flynn family, but this weekend really strengthened my relationship with June, and Linda too. 

For Thanksgiving break, things were fairly back to normal.  Noah wasn't around again, but this time, I knew in advance.  Lee had mentioned that he had a football game or something, so I wasn't super anxious.  I had started to worry that maybe he had a girlfriend, and was either spending it with her, or even worse, would be bringing her home with him.  While Lee and Lisa were fully dating, she was headed back home for the weekend, and I knew Lee was bummed to be apart from her.  We did have a few new guests this year, because Linda was making her Thanksgiving debut, and her daughter Kelsey was visiting from London for the week.  

Kelsey had decided to take a job in London after school was done, so we had yet to meet her.    The night before Thanksgiving, Linda suggested that Kelsey and I hang out to get to know each other.  She's just a few years older than me, so it was good to get to know her.  Of course, Lee and I are basically attached at the hip, so needless to say, he joined us as well.  We'd outgrown the arcade - and the DDM machine was permanently at my house anyway, we needed somewhere else to go.  We ended up heading down to Dunes, where Lee definitely tried to 'assist' our waiter, and promptly got the side-eye from May. 

Dinner itself started a bit awkward.  While Linda and I had gotten to know each other, I didn't know Kelsey (and obviously, she didn't know me), and it was a little strange because our parents were dating.  A glass of wine later, the ice had melted, and the conversation started to become easier.  Linda and Kelsey's dad had separated when she was really young, and her dad was never really in the picture.  Linda had dated occasionally, but Kelsey shared that she knew that my dad was something special, and wasn't like the rest.  Obviously, I'm quite partial to my dad, but it was glad to hear that Linda (and therefore Kelsey) felt the same way.    Who knows, the way things are looking, I may have a step sister soon.  Weird.  At least she's not an evil step sister!

A few weeks left at school, and then I'm back home for Christmas.  Last year, after missing the Flynn's for Christmas, it was nice to be back to our traditions of spending time together.  Noah is absent, yet again, and I can't help but continue to think he's avoiding me.  I still miss him, and between opening gifts in the morning, I took a ride over to the Hollywood sign to get some space.  I was sitting there, when I caught something out of the corner of my eye.  Is that - no, it can't be - it looks like E + N is scribbled in the dirt, but someone tried to scratch it out.  My eyes are definitely playing tricks on me.  I head out, completely confused, and definitely thinking back to Noah again.  This definitely didn't clear my thoughts as I had hoped.  

At dinner that night, Lee shows me his new sneakers that Noah had given him for Christmas.  I jokingly said that I didn't think Noah would know how to mail a package - and he told me that he hadn't sent it, he had been there the week prior for a few days.   I had brushed it off as my eyes earlier, but is it really possible that Noah had been in that same spot a few days ago?  I brushed away a tear at the thought, but I'm not sure if its because I wanted it to be true, or if I was afraid that it wasn't. 

Lee also showed me the engraved picture frame that Lisa gave him before they left school for the holidays.  In it, there was a picture of them from their first date on Valentine's day.  I  already knew he had gotten her a wristlet wallet, because I had helped him pick it out over Thanksgiving.  The two of them were doing pretty well, and still enjoying spending time with her.  Lee never said it outright, but he didn't need to - he just didn't seem to care about her as much as he did Rachel.  We never compared the two relationships, but I didn't get the sense that Lee was crazy about her anymore.  But, I don't think he knew what to do about it either.  Its not like he had ever broken up with anyone before.  I think he's just seeing what happens and letting this play out.  

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Spring semester was, well, interesting. 

My old roommate, Julie, tried setting me up on a blind date with a family friend.   She wouldn't tell me anything about him, except for that he was our age and she thought that we'd be good for each other.  I show up for our date, and who walks in, but WARREN.  Oh hell no.  Fortunately for the both of us, he's grown up a lot since high school.  We actually had a nice dinner, a nice laugh at Julie's expense, and mutually agreed that this was not actually going to go anywhere.  Can you imagine what Noah would think if he knew I had gone on a date with Warren?  Brushing that thought aside, he and I snap a photo, and I posted it on Instagram for Julie's sake.  

Classes are OK too.  I'm trying to finish up most of my basics, so that my next two years are filled with special courses and coursework that will actually count towards my major.  

Alex also talked me into joining a local soccer team, so that keeps us pretty busy on the weekends as well.  Its usually a co-ed team, but this year they had so many girls sign up, that they actually formed an all-women league.   I have to admit, that added stress of trying to look good for guys on a team just isn't for me.  So, I'm glad it worked out the way it did.  

Alex, on the other hand, is not thrilled.  She was convinced that she'd be meeting Mr. Perfect on the soccer field, so she was disappointed at this turn of events.  Now, I already told you that she and I are pretty similar, so, it may come as quite a shock that Alex IS a fan of getting all dolled up for soccer games, because she is thoroughly convinced that her future husband is going to appear out of the blue at one of our soccer games.  I guess I'll believe it when I see it...   

A/N: Video Game design (and studying it in college), is the furthest thing from my knowledge.  So, forgive me if I seem a bit disconnected on Elle's course of study over the next few years, or put more emphasis on what goes on outside the classroom than inside it.