CHAPTER SEVEN
❀ ✿ one percent ✿ ❀
IT HAD BEEN A FEW DAYS since New York, so far Eloise and Anthony had managed to keep their 'relationship' a secret. Why are there air quotes around relationship you may ask? Well, Anthony had never officially asked Eloise to be his girlfriend, she figured she could do it herself but this was her first real boyfriend and she wanted the full experience. Of course if he didn't ask soon she'd take matters into her own hands.
Eloise sat at the kitchen table, Olive at the head of the table and Riley in front of the young girl. The weekends were special for the Diaz-Montgomery family, as it was the only time they were all able to sit and eat together.
"Sherrie said Anthony has another track meet this weekend," Olive informed. "Are you going?"
Eloise thought about it. She'd hardly ever gone to his meets when they were just friends, and she'd heard that sometimes she when an athlete gets a partner, the partner becomes a jinx and she couldn't do that to Anthony.
Eloise shrugged, "I'm not sure, maybe if he asks." She took a spoonful of cereal. Olive nodded.
They continued eating breakfast as they talked.
Olive knew something was going on with Eloise, she'd confided in Riley about it but the blonde told her to leave it alone and that the young girl would tell Olive when she's ready. Olive knew her girlfriend was right but it was hard. She always thought her sister would tell her everything, she knew she'd been a little distant lately because of school, and she knew Eloise was growing up and maybe didn't feel the need to share everything with her big sister but it still hurt.
They cleared the dishes, Eloise bid her goodbyes and made her way to Anthony's.
Olive sighed loudly, washing the dishes in front of her. Riley made her way towards the older Latina, wrapping her arms around her waist and leaning her head on her shoulder. "I'm telling you, Riles, she hiding something."
Riley shrugged, "I'm not seeing it but if she is, like I said, she'll tell you. Ollie, you're her sister she's not going to shut you out." She smiled softly at the woman's worry. She never had siblings, and Riley's parents were very absent throughout her childhood, so she'd never had someone worry about her the way Olive does for Eloise.
"Thanks, Riles." She gave with blonde a soft kiss and continued to clean the dishes, leaving Riley to put them away.
❀ ✿ ✿ ❀
The young girl knocked on her boyfriend's (it was easier to say that then boy she's made out with a couple times and have gone on a date with but he still hasn't made it official...friend) bedroom door.
"Come in." He said. Eloise walked in to see Anthony laying on his bed, on his phone. He seemed to be playing some sort of video game. Anthony looked over to see his girlfriend (again much easier to say) and smiled. "Hey, Ellie."
"Hey." She replied setting her bag down as she sat beside him. A nothing noticed something was wrong the minute she spoke. She had a smile on her face, yet her eyes were filled with sadness. He didn't know why she was feeling sad, but he hoped it wasn't because of something he had said or done.
Anthony placed his phone down as he sat up straight to face the girl. He mimicked her position (crossed legged and hands on her lap) "What's wrong?" He asked.
Eloise took a deep breath. Was it really that simple to figure out something was wrong? "What are we?"
This response startled Anthony. He knew what she meant and everything started to make sense. But before he could reply she spoke again. "I don't want to be the girl who's needy or anything, I just want to know are we dating or are we just make-out buddies? Because I'd rather it be the former not the latter." Anthony was lucky he payed attention in English class to know what those two words meant. "You've had girlfriends before but I haven't and I don't know how this goes. But, I've been waiting for you to ask me ever since New York, and you haven't so maybe I'm doing something wrong."
It seemed to have become a normal thing for Eloise Diaz to go on rants when we she was nervous.
Anthony cut the girl off before she could get another word in, "You're not doing anything wrong, Ellie. I am. So let me do this properly." He repositioned herself, and held her hands in his. They smiled at each other. "Eloise Diaz, would you like to officially be my girlfriend?"
Eloise pretended to think for a moment, "Well, I don't know, I'm a very popular woman and maybe I should keep my options open." She joked.
He leaned in and kissed her, "Maybe that would change your mind?"
She chuckled softly, "Maybe you should do it one more time, you know, just to be sure." And he did, until she finally said yes.
"Wait does this mean we have to tell our parents?" She asked placing her palm for Anthony's chest to stop him from kissing her again.
He shrugged, "Not if you don't want to."
Eloise thought about it for a second. She was worried if they told the adults that things would change. It would mean no more sleepovers, door would most likely need to stay open, Olive would definitely need to set up a 'meet the parents' dinner with Anthony. But, on the other hand it would be freeing to be able to go out in public holding hands and going on dates.
She nodded, "Yeah, I think we should."
"Then we will."
❀ ✿ ✿ ❀
Eloise left a few hours later to talk to her sisters. She grew more and more nervous with every step she took. Would they be upset? Would they yell at her? Would they be happy? Would they tell her she wasn't allowed to see Anthony again? Those were the thoughts running through her mind as she opened the front door. "Olive! Riley! Can you come to the living room for a sec, please?" She called out and she could hear the shuffling of her sister and her girlfriend walking to the living room.
Once all three girls were sat on the couch, Eloise began to (re)explain everything that had happened in New York except this time she didn't leave out the part that happened at Heidi's apartment nor outside the Diaz home. "And the he kissed me and drove home." She finished. The two adults were stunned, they didn't know what to say. "Please say something."
Riley was the first to speak up, "Is he a good kisser?" This question caused Olive to smack her girlfriend's arm. "Ow! It's a valid question."
Eloise laughed, "Yes, he is."
Olive looked at her, her frown turned into a smile. "Does he treat you well?" Eloise nodded. "Then I don't see a problem. I've always liked Anthony."
Eloise was overjoyed with the fact that he sisters were happy for her. They continued to discuss the rules that would now need to be placed (which Eloise knew would happen). As they did so, Riley went into the kitchen to make popcorn, Eloise sat by the stacks of DVD's picking out her favourite and Olive grabbed blankets from the closest.
It was time for the Diaz-Montgomery family to have a movie night, just the 3 of them and Eloise was more than happy to be spending the rest of the night knowing her sisters approved of her boyfriend. She just hoped Anthony's parents felt the same way.
(They did)
INEZ SPEAKS
There's nothing much for me to write here but hopefully the writing is still the same because I wrote this chapter (and the rest after) weeks after I wrote the others.
Fun fact: I'm severely sunburnt and while I'm writing this I'm about to go be Multiverse of Madness (May 6) and I'm so excited.
Update: It was not that good :(