The Magic of Ellie

Disclaimer: All characters depicted here are fictional and bear no resemblance or likeness to any real people.

Author's Note: This story is technically erotica, but I focus more on the story than sheer sex, and it's going to be a long one, so if that's not what you're looking for, you might want to pass on this one. Also, there are bound to be inaccuracies and errors regarding certain elements about which I know little, save for my research. Medical stuff, religious stuff, regional specifics, etc. If you know better, I hope you can still suspend your outrage and enjoy the story. Unfortunately, I can't spend all my time on something like this that doesn't even make me money, so I'm only able to do limited revision and editing. Everything should be at least spellchecked properly and grammatically sound enough to not be glaring, but things always slip through the cracks. I hope you enjoy, and please drop me a line if you'd like. Garax11@mail.com

And since there might be confusion about the technological problems presented in the story, it is set in the early 2000s. Before cell phones were very common for kids to have.

Chapter 1, Part 1

Ellie was always a unique and beautiful girl, a sunrise in permanent, majestic poise. She's been in my life since she was born, and it seems God played a trick that day to bind our fates forever. As a four-year-old kid, there was no way I could have known how important she would be in my life. Her brother and I were best friends, and I clearly recall the day at preschool when Brad proudly announced 'we' would be getting a little sister. He was thrilled over the idea, and right away declared that 'our' sister was going to be the best. That's how he always was; how his family was. They accepted me, included me, when no one else would.

My memories are sparse and hazy from that young age, mostly lonely and painful things I'm glad I can't quite recall. But the news of Ellie's impending birth stands out from the fog of my past in sharp relief, like a spotlight. I remember many things about the process of her arrival. I was allowed to be in the hospital with their family, keeping Brad company to help him deal with the stress of seeing his mother undergo labor. We played a lot, running up and down the corridors while Brad's father tried to both comfort his wife and keep us boys in line.

But the sharpest memory from that time was when I first saw Ellie's eyes. Everyone made a huge fuss over her opening them for the first time, and they crowded around Lori and the squishy, swaddled little bundle she held. I was curious, and managed to work my way between people and up to where I could see what was so special. Ellie's eyes were still half-lidded and unfocused, but my breath caught at the sight. She had the brightest, sharpest cobalt-blue eyes, almost glowing with inner light in the dim, twilit room. I was transfixed, and it felt like the sun was winking out each time she closed her new little eyelids.

Due to the four year age gap between us boys and Ellie, we were always frustratingly ahead of her. Not enough to exclude her, but just enough so she couldn't fully participate in our play, usually. She was smart and perceptive, and her precocious perspicacity charmed me to no end, even as kids. So I tried to include her, even when Brad got annoyed and insisted she butt out. His short fuse where she was concerned puzzled me for a while, but eventually I realized that living with her full-time must be what allowed him to be so callous. But to me, she was always a beam of sunshine, and her presence calmed me. Not to mention how her daredevil nature was a blast.

Some of her favorite games was when someone would spin her around while holding her hands, causing her small body to fly out horizontally as she spun and squealed with glee, or when we'd put her on our shoulders and run. Such games weren't complete unless we let go of her while spinning and tossed her, tumbling, to the ground, or when riding on our shoulders, we'd take a deliberate fall and spill her like an ice cube from a toppled cup.

As the years went on, Brad and I became fiercely protective of her, and she was a princess to our knightly guard of her joy and purity. Where the rest of the world was concerned. Among ourselves, she was fair game for no end of fond teasing and ribbing. This, coupled with her ferocious intellect, made her quickly grow a very tough skin, and learn how to fire back taunts and jibes at least on par with us. She grew a potentially dangerous sarcastic streak, which tormented her parents.

But the dynamic took a turn once she entered adolescence. At least, that's what I attributed her change to at the time. I was a freshman in high-school, and her stark shift stood out in my memory, because right around that time, the landmark event of getting my first real girlfriend was fresh in my mind. Almost overnight, Ellie entered a bratty, distant preteen stage, and she hit it hard.

Before the rest of us knew what had happened, she went from a laughing, carefree girl frolicking in the yard and climbing trees, to a moody, withdrawn, sullen thing of locked doors and spiteful looks. It pained me to see the change, but when I tried to reach out to her, she acted as if I had personally offended her somehow, and bit my head off at the least provocation. Figuring she was just in a phase, I quickly learned to leave her alone.

Her next 'transformation' was when she began to fret about her image. Suddenly, she was quite concerned with her clothes, her hairstyle, makeup, and trying to look cool. Or at least, avoid doing anything that might be embarrassing, on the off chance that someone she knew might spot her. So no more silly, childish things like playing in the yard. Or being caught dead with her brother or me. She all but disappeared from the activity in the house, holing up in her room for privacy.

Now, I wasn't always party to this, and caught a lot of it via second-hand complaining from Brad. After all, I didn't live with them, although I used to visit their house a great deal of the time. As often as possible really, since there was nothing for me at home. I never knew my dad, and my mom stayed busy with work, or dates, or friends. She had always done the bare minimum to keep me alive and clothed, but from the age of seven or so, I was cooking for myself, cleaning my room, and seeing to everything from homework to laundry while she was either gone or sequestered in her own bedroom, on the phone or with a guy.

I hated being home, and took any chance I could to get out of there. James and Lori had always been like the parents I never had and, although I was too young to put it together at the time, they understood my situation, and tried to include me in their family as much as possible. Since Brad and I had known each other since before either of us could remember, he grew up taking for granted that I was pretty much a brother, who just happened to live elsewhere.

Once I started dating Amy though, my time at their house dropped off considerably, so my experience of Ellie's change came in sharp, punctuated encounters with her evolving (or degrading) character, whenever I was over. It hurt more than I could have guessed it would. Rationally, I knew she was undergoing a relatively slow and gradual progression into that stressful time of her life, but as a boy, I had no context for the female instability during those years. My adolescence certainly hadn't been so tumultuous. But what hit me hardest was realizing that my old, childhood relationship with Ellie was no more.

I came around one day and instead of running up to give me a big hug like she always used to, she walked past me with barely a word and a glance. She went to her room and slammed the door. The phrase 'cold shoulder' crystallized in my mind in that moment, as I indeed felt suddenly cold.

I looked at Brad in confusion, “She mad about something?”

“Who knows?” He replied with a sigh, “Been like that all week.”

I stared down the hall to her door, contemplating walking in with a big grin and dragging her out like I would have done in the past, teasing her until she laughed and showed me her radiant smile and the sparkling light in her blue eyes. But even in that brief moment I'd seen her, Ellie had a different look about her that gave me pause. I sensed the fragile maturity radiating off of her, a self-image new and tenuous and so easily bruised. I could really scar her now, if I embarrassed her too much. Plus, it hit home that she was at an age where I couldn't just barge in her room anymore.

As I absently watched her door, loud music suddenly erupted from within her room. Right away, I recognized Alice in Chains, and couldn't help a grin, and a swell of pride. Oddly, the thought of her listening to that made me feel better. Maybe she was in an odd phase, but I guessed she was still the same girl I'd always known, deep down.

Brad and I had discovered that band a few years ago, and had spent many hours huddled around his CD player, jamming out to the music. Ellie floated by at some point, and joined us. I'd felt certain she wouldn't appreciate such angst-filled, male-oriented music, but she actually liked it a lot. In no time, she was absently humming the melodies of the songs while she played, and asking over and over if we could listen to the album. Last year, I gave her a few of their CDs for her birthday. You would have thought I'd given her a stack of gold.

“She'll be fine.” I said to Brad with a bemused smile.

That evening, I was set to have my first solo date with Amy. We had already been out together several times, but always with some kind of adult accompaniment, which annoyed us both to no end. We wanted privacy, but I was still a year away from getting my driver's license. And it was extremely frustrating to be dependent on someone with a car to get us around. But this time, Amy and I had set up a plan to meet up and take a bus to the mall this evening. Not the most romantic thing but, especially at that age, I wasn't very good at that sort of thing anyway.

I was still quite nervous though, and used Brad as a sounding board all day to try and strategize my way around showing Amy a good time. I was hopeful that we might progress farther in our relationship if we could be alone and I could muster whatever it takes to be desirable. Amy liked me, obviously, but I hadn't exactly swept her off her feet yet. She and I had been close friends since middle school, and this relationship of ours was a tentative progression to see if we could work out as a couple, instead of just friends. But I was beginning to think I might be in love with her.

I wished I could solicit Ellie's advice in dealing with a girl. But the one time I'd brought it up, a few weeks ago, she looked like she might strangle me for bothering her with my tripe. So I ploughed on ahead, doing the best I could. That date went well, and many more after. I became besotted with Amy, and Ellie stayed distant.

A year passed. Ellie was a textbook hormonal preteen, for all intents and purposes. I barely saw her any more, as she built a friend group, developed interests, and cultivated her identity, which decidedly did not include Brad or me.

I fumbled my way through my relationship with Amy, growing ever more attached and dependent, just like a dumb teenage boy. I missed all the signs that my behavior was damaging things with her. Brad tried to cool me off here and there, but I didn't listen to him at all. No, we were madly in love, would get married right out of high-school, have a family, and be happy forever. Ours was a fairy tale love story; long-time friends realize they're perfect for one another, and live happily ever after. She dumped me around the year mark.

Saying those were bad times would be a drastic understatement. Poor Brad had to deal with my depression, although I did my best to hide it and put on a brave face. Inside though, I was shattered. Following the breakup, I didn't see much of anything outside of my dark bedroom for about a week. He tried to call me every day, but I mostly ignored the phone. I spoke to him once at the beginning, and quelled any concern that I might do something stupid.

The following weekend, Lori called repeatedly until I answered, then insisted I come over for a proper birthday meal. I'd just turned sixteen, but really couldn't care less about it. I didn't want to go eat dinner over there, mainly because I knew it was at least half a pretense to pity my pathetic situation. But my desire to not give offense to Lori won out in the end, and I left with a rain cloud over my head to walk the couple of blocks to Brad's house.

It wasn't as bad as I'd feared. To my relief, everybody acted mostly normal. Not a word of pity for my breakup, or an awkward dance on eggshells to be found. The only one acting differently was Ellie, who actually hung out with Brad and me instead of being in her room.

That was a shock, but a welcome development, all things considered. I'd missed her, and having her around now was like a warm glance back into the good old days. Plus it touched me to think that this might be her little way of giving me support.

She had changed considerably over the past months. Now on her twelfth trip around the Sun, she was starting to look like a proper teenager. Her golden-blonde hair, usually a mess of frizz and tucked into a utilitarian ponytail, was fashionably cut into long waves that fell past her shoulders, and was lustrous from care. She was taller, the once gangly stack of elbows and knees filled into supple, yet subtle curves and lines. But her sense of humor proved intact, once the ice of not being around each other much lately began to thaw. And the effect her buoyant presence had on me was strikingly familiar.

It felt like old times as the three of us sat on the living room floor, controllers in hand, playing Mario Kart. We jibed and laughed and taunted, and it felt good. The broken pieces inside me seemed to be slowly warming up, ready to melt down soon and reforge. I even got a bit of my appetite back, especially once I smelled Lori's cooking wafting from the kitchen.

The woman was a world-class cook, at least in the opinion of those who'd partaken of her food, and I had been loathe to see my share go to waste due to a lack of appetite. I knew she would be throwing down some of my favorite things for my birthday, and it was a relief to notice that I was actually a little hungry.

Ravenous actually, and I managed three heaping plates, much to Lori's delight. It seemed to be just what the doctor ordered, and with every bite I felt life coming back to me more and more. Added to that, the wholesome family environment at the dinner table made me feel almost aglow from the warmth and love.

It was always like that with Brad's family. They were a textbook American household, as real as apple pie and church services. Their home was welcoming, cozy, and the only place I truly felt at ease. The very air seemed to be richer in here, and soothing. Like a warm inn on a cold winter night, I used to think. As a child, Lori always had food on offer, and a generous jar of candy on the television stand. James was tall and strong, deep of voice and free with his encouraging smiles. I looked up to him like the perfect model of what a 'dad' should be.

I always felt grateful to have been so welcomed by them for so long, but on that day it brought a lump to my throat from the sheer power of their acceptance. If not for them, there's no telling where I may have ended up.

After all, they were more a family to me than any blood relation of mine had ever been. I spent holidays with them, and they took me along on vacations. James was who taught me to fish and drive and shake a man's hand. Lori was always brimming with love and nurturing kindness. When I was little, I used to pray to have them be my real parents and to somehow magically wake up in their household. But as I got older and that childish dream faded, I found myself just appreciating everything they'd done for me over the years.

Before I knew what was happening, I felt tears running down my cheeks, even as I held my fork aloft in front of me. No one said a word as I excused myself with a murmur, and quickly left the table. I went out the front door, and stood propped on the deck banister as I tried to breathe and reign in my chaotic emotions.

A few moments later, the door opened behind me. James came and stood next to me, not saying anything at first.

“Jake, you alright, son?"

Hearing the fatherly concern and resonance in his voice made me finally crack. I broke down into tears harder than I had yet since the day of the breakup, although that wasn't the main cause. Yes, my emotions were on an electrified filament of instability, but hearing James call me 'son', even though I knew he didn't mean it literally, was the tipping point after all I'd just been thinking about.

He didn't say anything more as I wept, but braced an arm across my back and gripped my shoulder with a firm hand. Eventually the tears tapered off, leaving me feeling somehow cleansed. I pawed at my stinging eyes and sniffled my nose.

“Sorry.” I said, once I could speak.

“It's okay,” James said, squeezing my shoulder, “It's good to get it out sometimes.”

I remained quiet, breathing deeply to regain control of myself, unsure of what to say.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked.

I shook my head and said, “It's not even about Amy, really. I just felt overwhelmed in there. You guys doing this for me; the things you've always done for me... It means a lot, and I guess it kind of sneaked up on me.”

“Jake, you know you're always welcome here. You're a fine young man, and we're proud to know you. The things we do are out of love, not some charity. Just like with Brad and Ellie.”

“I just don't know how to show my gratitude for all of that.” I said, feeling a fresh lump threatening.

“You don't have to,” He said, turning to look me in the eye, “Gratitude is a good thing to have, but you need to understand your position. You give us just as much as we give you, so it's a fair deal, so to speak. Lori and I love having you around. You've been a wonderful friend to Brad. Ellie too. You're smart, clever, talented, and we consider it a blessing to know you. We're grateful for that.”

I wiped away the fresh wetness forming in my eyes, and nodded. Part of me felt like an ass for creating such an uncomfortable situation, but another part felt like it was a desert wasteland that had just received a nourishing rain. James clapped a hand on my shoulder with a smile, then made to go back in.

“Come back in whenever you're ready. Lori made that cobbler you like.”

I took a few more minutes to compose myself and made sure I wouldn't have another embarrassing scene on my hands, then went inside. Everyone was talking quietly at the table, and as soon as Lori saw me, she popped up and gave me a tight hug.

“We're about to have the blackberry cobbler. Do you want ice cream with it?”

I could have kissed her for breezing past my incident. She always did have uncommon social grace.

“Yes, please.” I said, taking my seat again.

Brad gave me a tentative smile before digging into his dessert. Ellie though, couldn't be so casual. The poor girl looked like she was the heartbroken one. I couldn't tell what she was thinking exactly, but the look she gave me as I sat down was terribly sincere. Her large, expressive blue eyes, deep as cobalt in the artificial light, seemed to burn into me, so earnest and searching. My heart went out to her, and I gave her a weary smile to try and reassure her.

I knew that everyone cared about me, and didn't like seeing me upset, but I didn't expect such depth of emotion from Ellie, especially given her phase of self-conscious detachment. Come to think of it though, none of that had been on display today. It was like she'd turned it off, somehow. I felt arrogant for thinking such, but I couldn't help wondering if it was for my sake.

I grew more aware of her as I enjoyed the cobbler. She kept glancing at me, and I met her eyes several times. She looked pensive and hesitant. And there was a new, strange dynamic between us now, all of a sudden. It wasn't the distant, sullen face she'd shown me this past year, where no one was allowed in. But neither was it the old one, free and fun. Back then, had our eyes met at dinner, I could make a quip about having something on my face, everyone would laugh, and she'd throw back a witty salvo of her own. But that didn't seem appropriate now. Maybe it was her earnestness a moment ago, but I found myself not wanting to put her on the spot. Which was strange, since I didn't have that problem with Brad.

He and I exchanged a few rounds of banter as we ate the dessert, and it felt as natural as ever. Eventually, he noticed Ellie's mood too, and I saw him stare at her a few times. He had his mouth open to confront her about it at one point, but I interrupted him before he could. I got the impression that if he pushed her, she might flee to her room or something from embarrassment, and I decided I didn't want her to go away.

After we all finished eating, we lavished appropriate praise on Lori's cooking, and she was politely demure. Ellie had dishes duty, and I went to help her out. Lori tried to deter me from the work on account of my birthday and all, but I insisted. It made me feel better to do something to show my appreciation, but more, I wanted to thank Ellie. Sure, she hadn't actually said or done anything for me directly, but I couldn't help but sense that she felt for me. It was sweet, and I wanted to try to show her some kindness in return, without saying or doing anything that might embarrass her.

So she washed, and I rinsed. We were quiet for a while, the sense of awkwardness hanging over us like a sheet. I searched for a way to break the ice that had formed between us since my episode, but nothing was forthcoming. And it had been going so well before dinner. She was actually smiling and laughing then, seemingly back to her old self after all this time. Had I scared her with my emotional scene? Was she embarrassed that I saw her looking so earnest when I returned? I knew that girls her age could have a complex about anyone seeing them have genuine emotions, as if it were utter humiliation to be caught feeling anything. But even with her recent behavior, I just couldn't see that with Ellie.

Either way, try as I might, I could think of nothing to say to her. In the end, more out of a sense of childish exasperation than anything, I decided to just splash her with a bit of water. I put a spoon under the faucet at the perfect angle to spray a fan of water over her arms and chest.

“Hey!” She cried, recoiling from the cold spray.

“Oops,” I said, “My hand slipped.”

“Yeah, right.” She growled, cutting narrowed eyes up at me.

A few moments later, she was using the hose sprayer to blast crud off a dish, and 'accidentally' turned it to give me a quick shot in the face. It was a shock, but still made me feel a pleasant thrill that she'd reciprocated. I could work with this, I realized. Maybe I was no good at talking, but this was play, and I had played with her all her life. I knew just what to do.

I blew the water from my mouth and said in a threatening tone, “You trying to start a war?”

“Just returning fire.” She said casually, continuing with her work as if nothing had happened.

“You know, I could smash you. But I won't do it in the kitchen.” I said.

“Lucky for you then,” She returned, “What if we weren't in the kitchen? What would you do?”

Good, she was engaging. That's a start. I decided to suggest something silly and childish, and see what kind of reaction it got.

“Well, there's only one way to fight a proper aquatic battle,” I said sagely, “And that's with water balloons.”

She turned and stared at me, chin raised in defiance, and said, “Challenge accepted.”

I couldn't help but smile. This felt right, finally. We agreed to have an official battle whenever the weather warmed up enough. And to my great relief and joy, the remainder of dish washing went by with conversation and joking like nothing had happened. Until the very end.

I was drying off the last dish, Ellie standing next to me. She turned and looked over her shoulder for a moment, then sidled up next to me, arm-to-arm, and rested her head on my shoulder. A warm current coursed through me with the gesture, making my chest feel tight. I wanted to hug her. I wanted one of her gleeful hugs that she used to give me every time I came over. I debated taking her into my arms. I knew that would have been fine, in the past. She'd giggle and smile and my heart would light up from her joy. But she wasn't a little girl any more. And I wasn't a kid either. Maybe a mere hug would be okay, but with her emotions and attitude on such an unstable footing, who knows how she'd respond?

“Thanks for the help.” Ellie said quietly, before turning away and heading for the doorway.

*

Brad insisted I stay the night, and I didn't have any objections. Today had turned out to be a good day, and I wanted to stay in the warmth and familiarity of that atmosphere a while longer. Plus, I was kicking ass in Mario Kart, and really wanted to keep my streak alive.

So after I called to leave a message at home, we three settled into a night of fun just like we used to have. It was beyond therapeutic to laugh and play and tease, with everyone giving and taking in stride. We even ended up sleeping in the living room together, on a pallet of blankets.

Sure, it was childish, but it seemed like the whole day had been one for childish behavior. Why not bring out the inner kid once in a while? We even lay awake talking and laughing long after the lights were off. I felt giddy, and actually happy. The pain over my breakup still stabbed at me cruelly when I chanced to let my thoughts stray too far, but this place, with my friends, was a refuge for me. And I was terribly grateful for them.

When things finally settled down, and sleep began to demand access, the talk tapered off gradually until we were silent. I lay on my back, one arm under my head, staring into the black room above and feeling cozy. Something about the situation, and how it brought me back to my childhood, was so warm and reassuring. Here in the dark, with all this love and security around me, I felt invincible. It was like the problems and stress of the outside world just didn't apply here. I realized I was smiling.

Ellie was next to me, between Brad and me, and she rolled over at one point, flipping a lock of hair over my face. It tickled my nose, but as I got a whiff of the scent, I absently breathed in a deep breath of it. Pleasant notes of fruit and floral suggestions painted a lovely picture in the dark, even as I gently brushed the hair off of my face. I sighed the breath out, and Ellie turned back around to face me.

“Sorry.” She whispered, and I heard rustling as she reigned in her mane.

“It's okay,” I said, half dozing, “It smells really nice.”

“You like it?” She asked quietly after a pause.

“Yeah.”

A few moments later, just as sleep was about to take me, I felt movement and a light pressure on my shoulder. Then that fragrant scent was there again, and I realized Ellie was snuggled up on my arm, her head resting on my shoulder. Dozing as I was, I was softly swallowed into a calm, sweetly tender current of warm, tingling peace and contentment as I realized what she was doing. My smile returned, and my breathing deepened into a slow, peaceful rhythm. I fell asleep with her soothing scent in my head, and slept better than I had in a long time.

• Part 2