"Orange Ballon" TJ Pettrecca

Hi

So I'll post a little thing here. I may/may not finish it. But to see if you like it, and see if you want to know more. I don't know how well it will go over on FanFiction. But it's something I write when I'm bored. And delete. Because It's not worth getting into with my full heart. And I'm scared I will. But here goes...

Elisa's POV

I was eating cereal in the kitchen. That's all we usually eat now. There's not much money we have, and even on days like this we eat cereal. I sat at the little table we have. It's an awkward one that is a bench bent in the corner with a few more chairs on the un-benched areas but it's good. We usually have people coming in and out, but for now it's just me and Rainie.

It's been a few months. And I asked Bennett if it was okay if she stayed. I listened to her packing. Throwing things into her bags ready to go. Things have been awkward since her and Paul finally broke up.

These past few months have been good though. Out of everyone I like having her here most. She makes it easier. Cass and Miles are still together. Have been on and off and live together now too. And it's nice when I have someone here with me. Especially when everyone's gone.

We got this house a few months after Paul broke up with Rainie and him and Bennett's apartment complex was bought out. The rent went up and I was just getting out of school. I went to school for English. My mother pushing me to be a writer or an English teacher.

Imagine her when I decided I was going to help Sean start a record label instead. That's when I moved out and into this little house with Bennett. It's not small but it has enough room for enough people. Rainie's been sleeping in the "guest room" which Jonah's going to take for now. And there's two other rooms. One for Paul and one for me and Bennett.

"Elisa have you seen-"

"They're on the TV." I say. She never knows where her keys are now.

I hear her walk by filling my mouth with soggy cereal and listening to her sigh when she finds them. She walks in taking a breathe. She makes herself some cereal, I watch her.

In high school I thoguht she was gorgeous. Now there was no comparison. After her problems when Paul and her broke up the second time she was such a sickly kind of skinny. She was pale and boney. Now she was the same person on the outside Bennett and Paul must have met almost a year before I did. Her hair was still long and close to beign black. Her skin was pale. And her eyes were still grey-blue, but she had a new element to herself. But I knew better than anyone she wasn't the same person she had been when I got to know her in high school and up until two years ago.

She sits down. Eating cereal and catching her breathe. She works now as a writer of all things a magazine writer and she writes these really scary and almost haunting short stories. That's only now. Before she was writing more uplifting things but over two years her writing shifted into a new darkness.

"When are they coming here?" She asked looking at me. I don't know what she's thinking. She's much more reserved and walled up in this house.

"Five hours." I said. I freeze realizing I was counting them silently in my head.

She smiles at this. Looking down. Eating some more cereal. To make her feel more welcome I try and start conversation. Asking her about the next set of short stories she's publishing in a few more months. I want her to feel welcome because I have a feeling she thinks she's not welcome anymore.

When she leaves she'll go back to sleeping on couches. She doesn't want to go home to her parents. They are welcoming her too. But with Paul here she's going to end up all over the place. A few nights at her friend Jessicah's house. A few at Sean's apartment with Mike. Sometimes she goes home, but nothing's planned. Not anymore.

It's a safe guess her and Paul haven't talked in the past two years. Between two new records and touring there has only been an uncomfortable feeling mentioning anything. But I never ask. I just have evidence.

We save up sometimes. Buy beer and we'll drink it. I probably tlak non-stop about Bennett. And she talks about "him" with everything in past tense. There hasn't been a night Rainie has gone out on a date in the past few months. Nor has she talked about anything like that. We don't need to talk about those things. My life is probably mapped out right now if I want to think about it that way. I'm with Bennett. My stomach churning for when I see him today. For the first time in a month and a half in person.

The band was a long shot. Turns out it's working.

* * *

I was talking on the phone with Sean about this band we were thinking of signing. A little one. Nothing huge. "Shit." It was Rainie. She walked quickly. She burst into my room. "They're back early."

Her face was busy with distress. Desperation. "I'm screwed."

The frotn door opened and Jonah came in. "Eh-lisa!" He screamed.

"Sorry, I got to go, they're back."

"See you," Sean said. And I hung up.

"Jonah," I hurried out of the room. "Why are you here?"

"Early," He said grinning. "Why?"

"Rainie's here." I said.

"Rainie?" His face got serious. "Shit."

Rainie stood in my room. Nervous. She inhaled. "I'm stuck here right?"

I was worried. It didn't matter if they saw each other. But I didn't know what it was going to do to her. "Should I just go with it?" She asked.

Jonah turned around. "Ben," He said. "Paul in here?"

"No," I heard Bennett's voice. "Why?" I saw him and he looked at Jonah like jonah was crazier. Then he paused. "Oh-" He understood suddenly. "Um," He turned around. "I don't know he's on the phone with somone."

"I'm sorry," Rainie said to me. "I can go through with this. It doesn't matter, whatever. We'll see each other sooner or later."

It was uncomfortable. And I nodded. They brought things in and eventually Rainie had her duffle bag and came up to me. "Thank you, for everything." She hugged me. Her arms shakier than normal.

I hugged her back. "No problem."

And she started walking I didn't follow her. Bennett was in our room. I was playing with my necklace. He looked at me. "Is it bad?" He asked suddenly.

"She's had a few anxiety attacks in the past few months." I said softly. "She doesn't want me to tell anyone though. I think they've been happening for a while."

Rainie POV

I walked out. Taking in a deep breathe. He was hanging up the phone. His back to me. My heart started speeding. But i kept walking. I walked by him. And he didn't notice. I think he thought I was someone else. He stuck his phone into his pocket and took a bag out of the backseat of the car they must have gotten sometime in the past two years. I didn't recognize. The van must have finally died.

There was a relief making it past him. And suddenly I got to my car. Shoving the duffle bag into my passenger seat and starting it.

I made it. Out in one piece. I started driving. I was almsot gone, but suddenly I saw him. Frozen watching me. I remembered everything. My future planned around him. Those few words. "I think we need to rethink this. I don't want you living like this, Rain. I think we should have a break, sort everythign out and get a good idea of what it is we want."

The phrase "taking someone's breathe away" was never so close to being real.

What do you think? Alright? Should I go on. I might. I like it. It was refreshing writing it. OoOo. Maybe an unofficial sequel? I think so.

PCE.
JaseyRay.