Housemates

Chapter 3

On Saturday afternoon, Mark and Mia were lurking in the kitchen and laughing at things on the internet, and Ellie was watching TV in the lounge, staying deliberately nearby, half hoping Mia might come in and talk to her.

Ellie wasn’t sure why she was doing that. She wasn’t even sure why she was hoping.

She’d thought about Mia a little, during the week. She couldn’t not, after what had happened. She’d thought about Mia, and wondered about herself, and even talked to Mia, once or twice. She was thinking, but not all the time, and definitely not brooding every waking moment.

Yet now, with the day off work, and with other things to do, she was suddenly just hanging around, waiting to be noticed. Like she was obsessed.

She wasn’t obsessed.

She was sure she wasn’t.

She didn’t have a crush on Mia. She liked Mia, and thought Mia was intriguing, and maybe wanted to find out more about what Mia seemed to be offering. She was interested in Mia, but not interested like sitting around all day in the hope of being spoken to.

She was as much fascinated by the fact she found Mia fascinating as anything else, and she wasn’t quite sure what to make of that.

That was all it was. She was sure of that. She’d told herself so quite firmly, during the week. It was all quite interesting, and something new, but she wasn’t obsessed,

And yet here she was, watching TV on a Saturday afternoon, when there were plenty of other things she could be doing.

Which she wasn’t doing. Because Mia was in the kitchen.

It was getting silly.

She was sitting there, not even paying attention to the TV because she was too busy eavesdropping. She was listening to Mia and Mark talk. Half-listening, mostly. Just enough to be aware of what they were doing. She didn’t even know why. In case they talked about her, she supposed, even though she knew they wouldn’t. Or just in case Mark left the room, so Mia was alone, and Ellie happened to want to get up and get a drink right at that moment.

Listening for all sorts of good reasons like that.

Ellie wasn’t sure what was wrong with her. Mia had made it clear she was interested, and that anything more between them was on Ellie to decide.

It was on Ellie, and yet Ellie was acting like this. Sitting in the next room, playing games with herself. Rather than just going into the kitchen and asking Mia to fuck her.

And then asking how.

Ellie didn’t know how, and part of her wanted to find out. And part of her was scared of that, of looking ignorant, and thought the not knowing was as much why she was hesitating as anything else. And that she was confused by all this, and probably just needed time to think. And the sitting and listening was giving her time to.

Mark and Mia had started talking about what to do later. Mark said he knew someone who was having a party, so Ellie started listening more carefully. Mia said a party might be fun, whose was it? Mark told her. Someone Ellie didn’t know. It sounded like it was across town, a fair distance away. Mia and Mark were deciding. Talking about who else would go, and how much fun it would be, and who they’d know who did go.

Fun, it sounded like to Ellie. It was a big house, and someone who knew lots of the tech people Mark and Mia knew.

“So you do want to go?” Mark said in the end, and Mia said yes.

And Ellie decided it was time she got a drink.

She got up, and went though to the kitchen, and ran water into a glass. Mia and Mark were sitting at the table, where they’d been looking at things on his laptop. Mia had a beer beside her, half-drunk, and Mark had a mug of coffee.

“Oh, hey,” Ellie said, to Mia, trying to sound like she’d forgotten Mia was there, and only just remembered.

Mia just grinned, like she knew exactly what Ellie was trying for, and it hadn’t worked at all.

“What’re you two up to later?” Ellie said. Completely obvious, and knowing she was being obvious. Obvious to Mia, at least.

Mia kept grinning for a moment, then said, “Going to a friend of Tim’s place.”

“Okay,” Ellie said, like it didn’t concern her one way or another.

“There’s a party,” Mia said.

“Cool,” Ellie said.

Mia looked at her a bit longer. “Do you want to come with?” she said.

Ellie nodded, as casual as could be. She sipped the water, and made a bit show of thinking it over in every possible way.

She took her time.

Then, just when Mark had looked up, wondering why she wasn’t answering, Ellie said, “Yeah, okay. Thanks.”

“Just if you don’t have anything else on,” Mia said.

“I don’t.”

“It might be a bit geeky,” Mia said. “It’s people from college.”

“That’s cool,” Ellie said. She’d met Mark’s other friends, not just Mia. Mark and Mia seemed to be mates on their own, and didn’t often do things in a larger group, but there was larger group, and she’d met them.

“You’re sure?” Mia said. “Because if you have plans…”

Ellie looked at her, confused. She understood making sure, but it was almost as if Mia wanted her to change her mind.

Or maybe, Ellie suddenly realized, it was payback for making Mia wait. Maybe Mia wasn’t so into Ellie she wouldn’t push back a bit if Ellie played games.

Like this.

That was something to remember, Ellie thought. She decided she actually liked Mia more for that.

“No plans,” Ellie said. “I’m good.”

Mia nodded. “Then come.”

“I will.”

“Good,” Mia said, and took out her phone, like she wasn’t especially talking to Ellie. “We’re driving, right?” she said to Mark.

Mark nodded.

“You’re sure?” Mia said.

“Yep.”

“Not drinking tonight?” Mia said.

“Nope.”

Mark didn’t drink especially often. When Ellie had asked, not long after she moved in, he’d said he just didn’t really like it, and would rather keep a clear head. Ellie found it useful, because it meant she nearly always had a sober driver around if she needed one. Mia found it useful too, apparently.

“I’ll tell Joey and Caz,” Mia said. “We can take them too.”

“Sure,” Mark said.

Mia stood up, texting. She went to the fridge, and took out a beer, and opened it, without looking away from her phone. She handed Ellie the beer, and said, “Drink. It’s a party,” and went and sat down again.

Still texting.

Ellie sipped the beer, and looked at Mia for a moment, but Mia seemed to be ignoring her again. Concentrating on her phone, talking to Mark, laughing at movies on the internet.

After a moment Ellie turned around and went back into the lounge, without a word.