bennett's pov -- setting: ihop

Jonah slid down in the booth to make room for us- we were obviously late- we didn't miss much, just a few fat jokes at Aaron and Rainie trying to make Paul snap. I stepped back so Elisa could sit down and she moved in sitting next to Jonah. I looked at Paul who nodded trying to pretend he was listening to Jonah. I sat down across from him and looked at Elisa.

It didn't bother me so much anymore to be around Rainie and Paul with Elisa. Rain obviously liked Elisa a lot and talked to her all of the time about who knows what whenever they were alone- but even though I'm fine around Paul and Rain alone, having Elisa with me makes them intimidating. They're in love, and I'm not so envious of them, but it's just hard to see them the way they are- so disfunctionally together- and then how Elisa and I are in front of people.

We rarely acknowledge each other. We are in the same conversations and no matter how much she's changed- she still sits back a little. She still blushes sometimes when she says something opposing what someone else says. She still speaks quietly and laughs softly. She still stiffens whenever Jonah makes a joke at her, but I feel like she rarely notices me. Rainie and Paul only function as one person.

If Rain is tired he'll leave early to take her home. If she's in the bathroom he'll order for her and if he's fighting with me about something Rain will order for him. If she's thirsty he's thirtsy. If he needs air she needs air. If he looks upset she pulls him off to the side. I look at Elisa again out of the corner of me eye.

She's the reason Rainie and I never worked out. She's the reason Rain and I fell apart- if we were ever something more than a free hook-up and drinking partners.

I look at Jonah's whose still talking. I could have what Paul has easily. I have the girl I just need some more time. Eventually we could be just like them. And that thought makes my stomach flip flop. I've never thought that about a girl. Elisa's different, I guess.

She takes out her phone and looks at it. I see it and it's Cass so I get up and move out. She gets out of the booth and passes me saying she'll be right back. I watch her walk out saying "Hello," but I sit down and try and get back into Jonah's story.

Rain looks at me, bored with Jonah's story already or just distracted. She looks at me and raises her eyebrows. "How are things with Elisa?" She asked.

I smiled instantly. I tend to always do. "Great," I said.

She smiled too, and rested her arms on the table. "That's good," She said. "You guys are perfect for each other." She always tells me that, but I never doubted it for a second. The months before I met Elisa- if you asked me what my dream girl was I probably would have described Elisa without even knowing her. Paul moved his arm to the back of Rain's chair and listened more to Jonah. Her eyes moved to him. "Get up," She said.

He looked at her but she was already up moving out of the way. "Switch seats," She said. He moved over and she moved into his seat looking at me. "I see her at Carol's all the time, she's so nice." She said.

"Yeah," I said. "She's told me she's seen you a couple times." She doesn't get into it, she says she saw Rain and that they talked a little- I'm never sure what they talk about but who really knows.

I looked over and saw her. She was walking back. I moved out instantly and she smiled at me quietly. "Um," She said. "I have to give Miles that thing for Cass really fast, he's coming by so can I just have your keys really fast?"

I reached into my pockets and got them out. "Do you want me to wait with you?" I asked.

"No," She said. "It's okay, it'll only be a few minutes."

She took them and walked out. I sat back down watching her still walk away. Rain was jsut looking at me. "I've never seen you like this," She said smiling. "It's so weird."

"Like what?" I looked at her. I wasn't acting different at all. I felt so normal whenever I was around Elisa.

"I don't know," She said. "You just care about her I guess." I looked at Rainie for a few seconds and then I understood. I remembered when her and Paul started getting serious. The change was small but when they were together you could see it. I smiled a little. "I know," I said.

We both got sucked back into listening to Jonah. A minute or two passed and I got up walking out. Nobody noticed but I walked outside and saw her leaning against my car. She turned when I came out and we smild at each other. "Hey," I said I walked over standing next to her.

"Hi," She said. She looked back at the little white and blue building. "Not that exciting?"

"Nah," I said. "Jonah's still talking."

"This is his longest story yet, I think," She said.

I smiled. "It's record shattering," I said. She smiled and looked down. "I don't think anyone's listening, I think he's just hearing himself talk by now."

She nodded. We were quiet. She looked at me. "I'm sorry about this," She said. "It's cold, you should go inside."

"I don't think it's cold," I said.

She had her arms crossed and smiled. "Wait another minute," She said. "It hits you." I inched closer moving my arm around her. She leaned into my and looked up. I kissed her- her lips smiled agaisnt mine. She leaned her head against my side.

A pair of headlights swung in and it was Miles- she reached back and got the book. And walekd towards it. He rolled down a window. "Thanks," He said. He made Cass this book- it was a photo album but he charcoal-colored every page and colored in one thing per page. He doesn't have a computer so he had Elisa burn her a CD of the songs she thought went with each page. He just gave her the book in school and had her do the CD but it was pretty cool.

"You're welcome," She said. "She's going to love it."

"I hope so." He sighed.

"See you,"

"Bye," He rolled up the window and started driving away. She turned around and looked at me coming closer. I kissed her and pulled her into my arms.

"We should go inside," She said.

"Okay," I said. I touched her hand and felt it shaking a little. I squeezed it and we walked inside. I never felt her shake. We went back and sat down. Everyone had their pancakes. Rainie was slowly stealing Paul's whipped cream when he wasn't looking and I had mine sitting in front of where I had been sitting.

I looked at them- they were just strawberry ones. They didn't look that good. I didn't really want them. Rainie cut into her chocolate chips. Those looked really good. "Want to trade?" Elisa asked softly. I looked at her. She held the edge of her plate.

"No," I said. "It's okay."

She didn't listened. She picked mine up and put her chocolate chip pancakes in front of me. I reached back for mine. I felt bad for taking her pancakes. She pressed her lips to mine and picked up her fork. She didn't say anything else. She just cut off a piece of my pancakes for herself and ate it. I smild a little kissing the top of her head. "Thanks," I whispered.

She kissed me, her lips tasting like strawberries. I looked down at her pancakes and cut off a piece. Rainie was smiling at us and moved her head against Paul's shoulder. He kept fighting with Jonah reaching over and touching Rain's hand.

I didn't really need what Paul and Rainie had, I was gaining it slowly on my own with Elisa.