The Magic of Ellie/Part 2

Chapter 1, Part 2

The weeks went by, and the hole in me where Amy used to be seemed to be closing cleanly, if slowly. Brad said I still moped, but I felt pretty good, despite that. It was rough seeing her at school, but I prided myself in not saying anything to her. We caught sight of each other a few times in the halls and such, and she'd always look away in embarrassment. I could tell she didn't want to make it any harder on me, for which I was grateful, in a way.

As time went on, I came to realize that I hadn't been in love with her the way I'd thought. Infatuation, maybe, or fixation. But not love. The truly hard part was trying to break the habit I'd been in of always being around her and talking to her for years. It was like a part of my daily routine was gone, but my body and mind was still expecting it.

I considered trying to be friends with her again, but quickly discarded the idea. The main reason was that Amy had snagged a new guy mere days after our breakup. I wasn't so stupid as to miss the implication of that quick grab. But I honestly didn't hold any grudge or jealousy, which I found a pleasant surprise. In fact, as distance from the wound grew, I really began to like myself more than I think I ever did.

I'd joined the track team at the start of my freshman year, and had been pretty lukewarm about it. But I began to really apply myself, and discovered that I was good at it. I poured effort into my diet and training, and started putting lean muscle onto my thin frame. Halfway through sophomore year, I was looking pretty good, if I could be pardoned a bit of pride.

Getting a car was a huge event. After saving for two years at my meager job at a gas station, I finally had enough to get an older one. It was nothing great, but Brad helped me make sure it was reliable and a fair price, and I drove it away like it was an Italian super-car.

Indeed, Brad was the car guy, big time. He seemed to inherit the love of cars from his dad, who was the proud owner of an old Mustang which he kept in a dedicated garage on their property. I didn't know enough to get the big deal, but Brad assured me that it was a gem of a classic car; fully restored and mint. James didn't drive it very much, but still kept it so clean you could eat off of the tailpipe. Brad coveted the thing with passion, but his dad made him settle for a newer Mustang for his own, when Brad got his license. I had to admit, the old classic did look cooler, but I couldn't really see the big deal. Brad's was fast as hell, and reliable to boot.

But once I got my little Honda, I would have kept it over either of the Mustangs. Something about the pride of having my own car, bought with my own work, and the freedom it gave me made me extremely attached to the little thing. It opened up a whole new world for me, and I spent a lot of time just cruising around town.

That was life for a while, and I realized I was pretty happy. I didn't spend a whole lot of time at Brad's, mostly because I was spending my free time out of school with work, track, and just driving around at sunset. I was happy to note that Ellie seemed to be over her angsty phase, at least for a while. She was present again, and pleasant to be around. Every time I came over, she'd hang out with us. That sometimes annoyed Brad, especially when he wanted to talk about something he didn't want her privy to, but I didn't mind. After all, I was visiting her too, when over there.

Brad and I planned an occasion about a month before school let out for summer break. I was going to stay the weekend at his house, and we planned to go to the river Saturday. It was about an hour's drive, but we liked to go occasionally to fish and hang out on the banks. Now that we were driving, and could go on our own, we were quite excited.

I arrived at Brad's Friday evening, and was pleased to learn I was in time to eat. Ellie had a friend over for a dinner, so Lori was already making extra food. After greeting everyone, we set on the delicious meal. Ellie and her friend, Rose, giggled next to one another, while James and Lori plied me with questions about what I'd been up to lately.

“How you liking the Civic?” James asked.

“I love it,” I excitedly said between mouthfuls, “Drive it all I can.”

“Finally get used to driving stick?” Brad asked.

“Yeah, it's no problem now. Makes it more fun, really.” I said.

“Good man,” James declared before raising a finger sagely, “A manual transmission gives a driver a pure communication with the car. You just can't get that with an automatic.”

I grinned and nodded, pleased that I could understand where he was coming from now. I'd always been lost when Brad and his dad got into car talk. I still was most of the time, but not quite so much anymore.

After dinner, Brad and I settled on the couch to watch a movie, along with Ellie and Rose. Their couch was a large, two-piece sectional in a ninety degree 'V' shape, which offered plenty of room. That was good, since Brad's 'spot' was on the right end, where he'd usually lay down, stretch out and take up most of that wing. So I sat near the middle, and gave the girls the left half.

The movie got going, and I relaxed into watching it, the sound of the girls tittering to one side of me. Their voices didn't bother me, I realized. After the silence descended in the room, all save for their girlish chatter, I braced myself to become annoyed at the distraction. But it didn't come. In fact, something about it was kind of pleasant somehow, like the twittering of birds, or high bells. Almost soothing. Indeed, somewhere along the way, I found myself listening to them, instead of the movie.

“I know, I can't believe she's dating him.” Rose said, appalled.

“Figures,” Ellie remarked, “They've been obvious all year.”

“Yeah, but it's just weird. He's an eighth-grader.”

“So?”

“That's weird.”

“Whatever.”

“Hey, you know Brandon, right? Guess what?”

“What?”

“I heard he likes you.”

Ellie scoffed, “Where did you hear that?”

“From Shane. Brandon told him.”

Ellie was silent.

“Well?”

“What?”

“What do you think? I mean, he's really cute!”

Ellie grunted and said, “I guess.”

“You have got to be kidding me! You don't think he is?”

“Maybe a little. He's just...not my type.”

Rose grunted with exasperation and asked, “Then who is?”

I suddenly felt guilty for eavesdropping on a pair of gossiping girls, so I stood up to go refill my glass of tea. As I walked past Ellie, I happened to look down to see her foot shoot out in front of me. The trip nearly worked, and I had to throw my arms out and my ass back to counter my momentum. An ice cube clattered up and out of my glass as it flew forward with my arms.

I slowly turned to look at her, and found her staring at me, eyes big and innocent, save for the hint of mischievous grin on her mouth. Rose looked back and forth between us a few times, trying to figure out what happened.

“Don't think I won't embarrass you in front of your friend.” I growled, fixing Ellie with a glare.

Her grin bloomed into a devious smile, and she said, “I have no idea what you're talking about. You're just clumsy.”

Her big blue eyes were nearly glowing in that strange way of theirs. Despite feeling my breath hitch at the sight, I nonchalantly shook my head and walked on by.

As I made for the kitchen, I heard Rose say to Ellie, “No. Oh my God, you little-”

The kitchen wall blocked out the rest.

*

Apparently, my near stumble had made me the object of some interest from the girls. I made it a point to focus on the movie once I got back, since I felt bad about listening in on them, but their bouts of giggling occasionally made me reflexively glance their direction. Each time I did, they'd see me look, and fold into another laughing fit.

I figured Ellie was having a good time at my expense. She probably didn't tell Rose she'd tried to trip me, and instead was going on about how much of a goof I was. To be fair, up until recently, I pretty much was a clumsy oaf. My height seemed to outpace my brain's understanding, and would often leave me displaying an impressive lack of coordination and grace. Fortunately, since I'd been running and doing athletic training, this had gotten considerably better.

I still wasn't near Brad's level of athleticism, though. Being a tight end on the football team, he was not only solid as an oak tree, but unbelievably nimble, too. I would say that it wasn't a competition between us, but the fact is that everything was a competition. And physically, about all I had on him was height and endurance. The former was a genetic accident, and the latter was a slim margin. But I planned to keep training, and try to close those gaps.

Before long, Rose's mother arrived to pick her up. Lori went out to chitchat for a minute, while Ellie saw Rose out. The girls headed out the door with a final glance at me and an accompanying burst of giggles that faded as they closed the door behind them. The house suddenly became rather quiet.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you,” Brad said sullenly, cutting through my contemplation, “Ellie put in to come tomorrow. I told her she couldn't, but I guess she said something to dad. He said we have to bring her.”

“That's okay.” I said, feeling oddly pleased at the news.

“You don't mind?” Brad asked.

“No,” I said, “We haven't done anything like this with her in a while. Why, do you?”

“Well, no,” He said awkwardly, “It's just...I don't know. We've got to look out for her and all. It's a responsibility.”

I laughed and said, “Come on. You know she can keep up with us just fine. Besides, we're not going to be doing anything crazy.”

“Yeah, I know,” He conceded, “I guess it's okay, as long as you don't mind.”

“Not at all,” I said with a grin, “I owe her for a near miss a minute ago, anyway. I hope she wears a bathing suit, because I'll be throwing her in the river.”

Brad laughed and asked, “Yeah, what the hell happened? She trip you?”

“Almost. I think she was showing off in front of Rose. It might have worked a while back, but I've got better balance now.”

“You should have body slammed her over the couch,” Brad said, “Then we'd see who's embarrassed.”

“Nah, I wouldn't humiliate her. But I'll get her back in my own way.” I said, reclining back into the couch.

About that time, Ellie reappeared and bounced over to the sofa with a shit-eating grin. She plopped down next to me and propped her little feet up on the coffee table. I turned my head to look at her, sitting barely a foot away from me. She flashed a broad, innocent smile, then slid down into a horrible posture, knees bent and neck kinked. Brad popped his head up and looked between the two of us for a moment.

“What?” Ellie demanded of him, as she noticed his scrutiny.

Brad was silent for a moment, staring at Ellie with a taunting sneer on his face before casually saying, “Jake said you'd better wear a bathing suit tomorrow.”

Ellie's head spun to look at me like it was spring-loaded. Her wide-eyed, indignant glare almost made me explode with laughter. I managed to choke down my chuckle, and let myself enjoy her discomfort for a bit.

Finally, I said, “Payback.”

Her shock melted into a sort of devilish satisfaction, and the way her face transformed was intriguing. Her wide-eyed stare narrowed into a piercing, provocative look, a brow raised as if to challenge my position. Her deep and vibrant eyes bored into me with intense retaliation to my gloating a moment earlier. With her look alone, she seemed to ask, 'Think you have the upper hand, huh?'

She absently gnawed on her lower lip, revealing a flash of pearlescent white teeth that raked slowly along the full, glistening flesh before the lip popped back into place. She looked downright evil, if in an uncharacteristically alluring way. If I didn't know better, I might have been concerned about what she was planning.

But in mere moments the look vanished, shattering like a mirage in my mind as her face resumed its usual, pretty normalcy, and she smiled cutely.

She sat back up straight, nudged me with an elbow, and said, “Give it your best shot.”

*

By the time we left Saturday morning, I'd all but forgotten about her tripping me, and my promise for retribution. Instead, my mind was focused on packing three fishing rods into my little car. We had decided to take mine because it actually had more room inside than Brad's Mustang, despite his car being bigger. Most of his car's size was to accommodate the big engine, after all. And that was another factor in the decision: Mine got better fuel economy, by far.

In the end, we jammed the rods in the trunk, with the tips sticking out of the gap where it closed. A rope tied the hatch down, so it wasn't flying around. We could have dismantled the rods and re-strung them when we arrived, but neither of us wanted to deal with the hassle. Besides, I didn't mind if the improvised fit looked silly. As much as I loved my car, I wasn't one to care overmuch about the superficial image of it, as long as it was clean.

Ellie hadn't come out of her room yet, and it was nearing time to leave. Brad hoped she'd decided to sleep in and give up on going with us. I found myself anxious that she might have decided to do just that. Why did I care whether she tagged along? I was starting to get annoyed with myself over my concern. But just as we were finishing packing the car, Ellie bounded out of the house, looking cheerful and energetic. I felt a pleasant warmth as she ran up to me, smiling big.

“Can I help with anything?” She asked eagerly, looking up at me with sparkling eyes.

“You could have, a few minutes ago,” I said, shaking my head, “Looks like you timed it just right.”

“Sorry.” She said with a grin, looking anything but.

“You ready to go?” I asked.

“Yep!” She said, brandishing a small bag of her effects.

“Well, let's get on the road then,” I said, making for the driver's door, “Fishing's better before it gets too hot.”

Being a coupe, my car only had two doors. So I slid my seat forward so Ellie could climb into the small back seat. She situated herself, and I replaced my seat before getting in and cranking the engine. Brad followed a second later, the weight of his big, muscular frame dipping the passenger side of the car considerably as he sat.

“Are we going to get breakfast?” Ellie piped up from behind me.

“If you want to eat, then stay here and eat.” Brad barked at her.

I gave him a flat look then said to Ellie, “Yes, we're getting breakfast.”

Brad sighed and shook his head.

“You mean to tell me you don't want to eat?” I asked him.

He huffed and said, “What I want, is to get my line in the water before the sun sets.”

I chuckled, put the car in gear, and pulled out of the driveway, “The sun's not even up yet. We're on schedule. We'll hit a drive-thru. Won't take but a second.”

“Thank you.” Ellie said pointedly.

We stopped for food before we left town, and once Brad got his stomach full, his mood improved markedly. In no time, we were all laughing and talking and listening to music. Driving down the highway, watching the sun begin to light the horizon, talking with my two favorite people, in my precious car, made me feel incredibly alive and fulfilled in the moment. I smiled inwardly as I mused that this was one of those picturesque moments that one should cherish. I made a mental note to do just that.

Our treasured fishing hole on the river was a gem of a spot, unknown by most. Already nestled in a small town, an old, unremarkable dirt road wound into the woods for a few miles, until depositing us in a small, grassy clearing from which we could walk several yards more down to the river bank. We arrived and unloaded our things just as the dawn was becoming bright enough to see clearly.

It was more overgrown than we'd last seen it when we parked, and I worried about Ellie being able to trudge through the brambles and undergrowth on the way to the river bank. But she was a trooper as always, and after spraying a layer of bug repellent on her legs, set off behind Brad and me without a word of complaint.

The river was at a perfect level, flowing dark and serene, with a layer of mist rising from the water. The span of bank where we always set up was an area of relatively flat, moist sand, about thirty feet wide, jutting out from the steeper grade of the banks on either side. To the right was an old fallen tree, which extended out and into the water like a skeletal arm. Usually, Brad and I would sit on the trunk, dangle our legs, and fish.

He was eager to get started, and unceremoniously dropped his backpack and tackle box to the ground, before heading to the water's edge and casting his line. I took my time to look around and appreciate the lovely morning scenery a bit. Our area was like an oasis in the midst of a desert, only in the inverse. To either side of us, and all along the opposite bank, as far as one could see, woods encroached all the way down to the water, leaving our little pocket of white sand standing out invitingly. The quiet and solitude was wonderful.

Ellie sort of joined me as I meandered around, she inspecting various rocks and plants, and looking up into the trees when a squirrel barked at us for our interruption. She was practically aglow with enthusiasm and wonder. I smiled as I watched her, even as it struck me just how different she was from the last time we were here.

Then, she'd been an eager girl as well, but skinny and loud and always just a step behind where she wanted to be, where her bother and I were concerned. She wasn't allowed to sit on the fallen tree with us. She wasn't allowed to get too far into the river, for fear of rip currents. She couldn't go with us to run and play in the woods. I felt bad for her back then, and now I wondered what she was thinking. Did she still want to play like that? It was hard to imagine, looking at her now.

She wasn't a child anymore, by a long margin. She didn't even look her age, in a way. Something about how she held herself. If I didn't know her, and somebody told me she was about to enter high-school as a freshman, I'd believe it without too much trouble. And it wasn't just her body. Indeed, she had developed the suggestions of a lovely, feminine figure; lean and athletic and supple. Her face was beautiful, as she always had been, and her bearing spoke of a calm alacrity almost unheard of in people her age.

But there was more to it than that, and the wonder of it struck me as I watched her, standing on the sand and looking up into the trees. She wore the trappings of...experience, almost. As if she'd been places and seen things. I felt like I could talk to her, at least on my own level, if not beyond. She bore a kind of weary sadness, not in the same way as I had after my breakup, but like someone who has long been resigned to a situation they didn't really want, yet could do nothing about.

And as she looked down, saw me staring, and gave me a tentative smile and a curious eyebrow raise, I noticed another thing, that clicked several peculiar factors into place. I didn't see her as a child anymore at all. It became glaringly clear to me that I'd been trying to keep her crammed in that box in my mind, despite all the outward signs that it no longer fit. As it hit home for me, I understood the reason I'd felt awkward around her since my birthday dinner. Somewhere along the way, I had begun seeing her as a peer - no different from Brad, in a way.

Even the age difference was no longer an issue, although I'd been trying to keep it one. Growing up, it really mattered. She just wasn't on our level – physically, mentally, emotionally, or otherwise. Therefore her classification in my mind was under a different category than kids my own age. Ellie was 'little girl' instead of...well, whatever she was now. I suddenly recalled the night we slept on the floor, and she curled up on my arm with the sweet fragrance of her hair so evident. The memory triggered a warm current within me that scared me.

“You okay?” She asked me, and I realized I'd been staring too long, like a dope.

I shook my mind clear and said, “Yeah, sorry. I-”

“Shit!” Brad yelled to our right.

Ellie and I spun to see him angrily reeling in his line, shaking his head. He turned to look at us, annoyance plain on his face.

“I had a bite,” He said, anger on a slow boil, “A damned good one, too. And the thing got off somehow.”

“Well don't blow a blood vessel over it.” Ellie growled at him, heading back to where she'd left her things on the sand.

I did likewise, and took up my rod. We had come here to fish, after all. I started walking over to the fallen tree, then looked at Brad.

“Are you going to get on the tree?” I asked.

He looked at it, as if seeing it for the first time, then back to me and said, “I don't think so. I'm a lot heavier than I used to be, and that thing doesn't look as solid as it used to.”

I chuckled and made my way to the old tree. Things keep on changing. I climbed up over the old, dry mass of roots at the base of it, then looked up and noticed Ellie watching me. I met her eyes and jerked my head in an invitation to join me. A big grin lit her face, and she moved to come over.

Carefully, I made my way about halfway down the trunk, to an area about ten feet away from the bank, and settled myself into a sitting position. Ellie waited until I was seated, then lightly stepped up onto the tree, and nimbly came over next to me, looking for the world like an elf from Lord of the Rings. She lightly sat down next to me, and gave me a smug look.

“Think you're pretty cool, huh?” I asked, deadpan.

“You know you thought so too.” She returned, casually flicking her line out before us.

“Yeah, squirrels are cool, I guess.” I allowed, casting my own.

“I'll push you in, you know.” She teased, giving me a light elbow nudge.

“Hey Jake,” Brad called suddenly, “Do you remember the tree that fell behind our house a couple years ago?”

“Shut up!” Ellie barked at him, naked threat in her voice.

I looked between the two of them, and was surprised to notice Ellie actually looking a little flustered. What was this about, now?

“Do you want to tell him about your training?” Brad asked, voice still airy and casual, despite Ellie's threat.

She said nothing, but suddenly became very intent on studying her feet.

“Oh come on!” Brad groaned in exasperation, “It's not a big deal; no need to be embarrassed. Sorry I said anything.”

Ellie sighed deeply, looked hard at me for a moment, then finally said in a low voice, “Last time we were here, dad wouldn't let me come up here with you, because he was worried I might fall. So I...practiced climbing on that fallen tree until I could do it perfectly. Like a squirrel. But that was two years ago, and I was just being a stupid kid.”

The poor thing looked genuinely embarrassed over it for some reason. Brad was right: It wasn't a big deal. In fact, it was cute as hell, and I smiled as I imagined a smaller Ellie practicing to be able to climb a tree with us. It was just like her, I mused.

“You really did that, huh?” I asked warmly, smiling at her to assure her I wasn't teasing, “That's...the most adorable thing I've ever heard.”

“I know!” Brad chimed in eagerly, “That's why I brought it up. I wasn't trying to tease you, Ellie.”

She just looked at her lap, but I could see a little smile on her, and it warmed me. Without realizing what I was doing, I lifted my arm and draped it across her shoulders, pulling her into a little hug for a moment. She didn't flinch or jerk away, as I half expected once my brain registered what my arm was doing. Instead, she sank easily into my chest, and rocked her head to the side for a second, against mine. The fragrance of her hair washed over me again, and I breathed deep.

I let her go, and returned my arm to my side. She looked up at me for a second, but said nothing. Then a thought came to me.

“Wait, the last time we were here was two years ago. If you practiced climbing right after that...” I recalled, “How are you still so nimble up here?”

She looked at me like I was slow, and said, “I could always climb well. I just wanted to get even better, and show dad that I'd be fine.”

“I guess the athleticism runs in the family.” I mused.

“You're just clumsy.” Ellie said quietly, shooting me a demure glance.

“Fair enough.” I relented.

We were all quiet for a while, just enjoying the morning. The slow moving water made gentle lapping noises as it flowed around the branches of the tree we sat on, as well as the exposed roots along the banks. Birds chirped in the woods around us. Here and there in the water, a fish would strike the surface, causing a small splash and an annoyed groan from Brad. We didn't catch a thing, but personally, I didn't care. After all, there's a reason it's called 'fishing'. No guarantee of success. More than that though, I was just happy to be here, with my friends.

Before long, the sun was hot, the day was bright, and my butt was sore from sitting on the hard, awkward log. Also, I'd forgotten to bring sunglasses, so the sun's glare off of the brown-black water was starting to give me a headache. I suggested to Ellie we get up for a bit and take a break. She nimbly stood and walked down the length of the tree, before hopping off onto the sand and landing like a gymnast. I didn't have such a good time of it.

Either due to stiff limbs or general clumsiness, about the time I reached the end of the tree, where the sprawling mass of roots jutted out before me like a fan, I snagged my foot on something and tripped. I crashed through and over the dry old roots of the tree, into the underbrush that grew up around it on the ground. Fortunately, I'd had the reflexive wit to toss my fishing rod out to the side, even as I shot forward.

“Jake!” Ellie cried, running up to where I fell.

Brad was howling with laughter, knowing that such a small tumble was hardly very dangerous. Indeed, I seemed fine, although I couldn't tell much since I was upside-down, face in the dirt, and my limbs tangled in brambles and broken roots. I hoped like hell I hadn't landed on a bed of snakes. They enjoy nesting in such places, especially near the water.

“Are you okay?” Ellie asked, voice strained with concern as she tried to help me up.

“Yeah,” I said, spitting dirt out of my mouth, “I'm great.”

With Ellie fussing over me like a nanny, I limped back over to where we had set our things. I could feel some scrapes, and my flank was stinging, but other than that, I seemed okay. Nothing hurt by my pride. Then Ellie sucked in her breath in a sharp gasp.

“Oh my God!” She hissed, then ran up to look at my side.

I followed her gaze, lifting my arm with a painful stretching sensation, and saw what had her concerned. My white shirt was torn a little, and beginning to darken with blood over my rib-cage. I already knew it was nothing serious, but the sight did look pretty gnarly.

“You're bleeding!” She stated the obvious, looking up at my face with fierce concern.

“Don't worry, it's not that bad. I can tell.” I said, grabbing the hem of my shirt to gingerly pull it off.

As these things go, the dirty scrape looked worse than I knew it would once clean. The combination of grit and blood looked a bit gruesome, but in reality it just stung, and felt bruised. Brad came over to check it out, and gave a whistle at the sight.

“I bet that one burns.” He said.

“Yeah,” I agreed, “Guess I'll go ahead and take a dip to clean it.”

“But the water's dirty.” Ellie admonished.

Brad and I both looked at her flatly.

She was taken aback for a moment, looking between the two of us in disbelief, then she settled on me and demanded, “So I'm the only one who cares if you get an infection?”

“Ellie, come on. It's not-” I began, before she cut me off.

“It is. Not only do wildlife piss and crap in there, plus any dead things that might end up in the water, you do know there's a big recreation area upstream from here, right? All those people pissing and spitting, and who knows what else is put in the water. It's nasty.” She declared, her chin thrust up, folding her arms as if to clench the subject.

There were several refutations that came instantly to my mind but really, after hearing her say all of that, it did make me feel a little grossed out. I suppose that had been her intention, after all. Brad shook his head at his sister with a bemused smirk and went back down to resume his ever-more-apparently futile fishing.

“But I need to rinse and clean it.” I protested lamely, feeling suddenly like I was at a disadvantage somehow.

She sighed and said, “I'll do it.”

“Do what?” I asked.

“Just be still.” Ellie instructed, taking my shirt out of my hands and dropping it onto my bag, before rummaging in hers.

She produced a cloth and a large bottle of drinking water, then came back to my side.

“Lift your arm.” She said.

“You don't have to clean it,” I said, “Give me those; I'll do it.”

“Lift your arm.” She repeated flatly.

I sighed and lifted my arm, feeling like a child suddenly. This was ridiculous. But if she really wanted to do it, I guess it didn't matter. Why the hell was I deferring to her, anyway? I was older than her; I could do whatever I wanted. It didn't occur to me then that maybe what I wanted was her attention and concern. There wasn't time to psychoanalyze it in the moment, even if I knew how to, but later I understood that my mind was responding powerfully to Ellie's concern for me, like parched and brown foliage thirsting for rain.

Ellie poured a stream of the cool water over my scrape, which felt delightful to my inflamed skin. The water ran in pink rivulets down over my swim trunks. Then she went to work dabbing with the towel. One hand, she put on my stomach for leverage, while she gently patted with the other. Her hand on my abdomen tickled. I watched her work, feeling confused, but pampered.

She was concentrating hard on being as gentle as possible, I could tell. Her brow was furrowed with focus, her mouth set in a cute little pout, as if painting a masterpiece. After she dabbed over the scrape once, she grabbed the water again and rinsed once more. Then she folded the cloth to a clean area, and patted it over again.

I was moved by the tenderness in her care, despite my confusion as to why she was doing it. Truthfully, I didn't think Ellie had it in her to be so soft. She was never rude, save for this past year of her being a bit of a diva, but neither had she ever been particularly girly. Perhaps her tomboyish nature was due to mine and Brad's influence, but either way, she was normally the type who would sooner laugh along with Brad at my discomfort than lend any kind of tender, feminine assistance.

She kept on changing, it seemed. Ever since my birthday dinner at their house, Ellie's bratty antagonism had lessened considerably. Lately, she gave off more...feminine vibes. It was an odd thing to ponder, but every time I saw her, I was growing ever more aware of her being a girl. Not that she had ever been anything else, but it was so much more obvious lately. I supposed it was to be expected, at her age. Either way, she was far more pleasant to be around now than she had been a few months ago.

“Thank you,” I said as she neared finishing, “That was actually nice. I didn't know you could be gentle.”

“If I want to.” She said distractedly, so involved with her work that she apparently missed my jibe.

“Will you let me get in the water if I promise not to get wet up here?” I asked, indicating my injury.

“Why?”

“I want to rinse the rest of myself. I've got dirt everywhere,” I said, “Unless you want to do this all over me.”

She paused for a second, grinned, and said, “Pervert.”

That hit me like a hammer, then I realized how what I said sounded.

“No! That's not what I meant!”

Ellie's high, chiming laughter sounded like clear bells beside me, and she looked up at me with dancing eyes. She grinned like the devil at my discomfort. I ashamedly glanced to make sure Brad hadn't caught that.

“You are so easy.” She said finally, once she managed to stop giggling.

“And you're not playing fair,” I complained, “You know what I meant.”

“Yeah, yeah.” She dismissed with a wave.

With a sidelong glance to Brad, who stood at the water's edge, facing away from us to fish, Ellie looked back up at me deviously and slowly stood. Her hand remained on my belly, rotating gently as she stood. She applied pressure and trailed it up the outline of my abdominal muscles a few inches.

“I'll do it though, if you want.” She whispered softly into my ear, voice thick with a suggestiveness I would never have imagined her capable of.

My blood turned to ice in my veins, and all I could do was stare at her in horror. Who the hell was this girl, now? The way she looked at me in that brief moment was so unlike the Ellie I'd always known. She was...sexy. The fact that she was capable of moving like that, and sounding like that, and that it worked on me, made me feel like I might throw up. Where had it come from?

All of this chaotic explosion of thought smashed through my mind in a split second, then Ellie's face bloomed into a gleeful near-laugh, and she spun away from me as she tried to stifle it. “Your face!” She gasped as she fought to quell the laughter, “Oh my God, I'm sorry! You look like I just shot a puppy!”

Brad looked over his shoulder, wondering what the racket was about. He apparently gathered that Ellie had been...well, Ellie, and pranked me somehow, so he turned back to his fishing, shaking his head.

I still couldn't speak. I really did kind of feel like she'd shot a puppy. Maybe it was an overreaction, but I felt like something so innocent and precious to me had just been killed. I was no prude, and not averse to dirty humor, but this was Ellie! Little Ellie, who practiced climbing a tree so she could hang out with her brother and me at the river. The way she'd just looked was...terrifying.

I realized the real problem wasn't what she'd done, or the fact she'd been the one to make the joke. It was how convincing she looked. If it had been anyone else, I would have really thought she was coming on to me. And my body's immediate, instinctive reaction to it was beyond shameful. In that briefest of instances, I was terribly attracted to her. Even now, I couldn't get it out of my mind.

Her hand lightly fondling my stomach, the way her crystal-blue eyes burned up and into me from beneath a sultry lock of hair, the slight angle of a grin from between full lips. Her shoulders and slender neck were so alluring, and she was standing close enough for me to smell that sweet scent of hers again.

“Jake?” Her voice was now tiny and hesitant.

It snapped me out of my hellish thoughts, and I looked up to see a completely different girl than the one still lingering in my mind. She was looking at me with trepidation and fear in her eyes, as if worried I might blow up on her. But she was herself again, and I sighed in relief at the familiar version of her I knew.

I had to be careful now. She was waiting to see how I reacted, and I had to play it right. The last thing I wanted to do was make her feel humiliated after daring to risk opening up so much. I tried to remind myself that, to Ellie, she'd only been experimenting with some taboo humor. Not unexpected, really. The fact that she'd been so convincing to me was my problem, and something I'd have to deal with later. But I really didn't want to screw up now and drive her back into a shell.

“Sorry, I kind of lost my mind for a second,” I said as lightly as I could, “You're a scary-good actor, you know?”

I gave her shoulder a playful back-handed slap as I walked past her and down toward the water. I slowly waded in, only up to my waist though, as promised. Brad reeled in his line and turned to go put it away.

“Yeah, I might as well give it up too,” He grumbled, “Just not happening today.”

I mumbled something to him, but my mind was far away from fishing. Ellie's brazen stunt was seared into my mind, like an artifact of bright light outlined in the darkness after you close your eyes. And no matter what I did, I couldn't shake the image. It was like I'd just been abruptly introduced to a doppelganger of her, one who was, as much as it pained me to admit it, terribly enticing. Her sudden, transitory dichotomy was giving me emotional whiplash, and I felt disoriented.

Ellie still stood on the bank, in the same place I'd left her. She looked oddly distant, as if deep in thought. I literally shook my head in an effort to clear it, and tried to get myself together. I grabbed up a handful of damp sand, molded it into a ball, and lightly threw it at her. It landed next to her and broke into sandy shrapnel that coated her feet.

“You getting in?” I called to her.

Brad was on his way back down to the shore, having shed his shirt in preparation to get in the water. He paused and looked at Ellie curiously.

“You okay?” He asked.

“Yeah, I'm fine.” She answered tonelessly, then went over to her bag.

So help me God, I tried not to notice as she pulled her baggy shirt off, and shimmied out of her shorts. Why did I have to say anything about her swimming? And why on Earth was she allowed to own a bikini swim suit? Couldn't her parents see what she looked like now? Couldn't Brad?

I breathlessly looked on as she stripped and put away her clothes, unable to tear my eyes from her. My mouth felt dry, and my stomach knotted as I tried desperately to stop seeing her like this. Damn it, she's like my sister! She's too young! What the hell is wrong with me? A chasm seemed to be violently rending my mind in twain as the rational part of me screamed to calm down, while some frighteningly powerful new thing within began to see her as a woman. That new part of me, a primal, fearsome thing indeed, marveled at her with a soul of desire.

Had her skin always been so radiant and smooth? When did she acquire those delicate suggestions of curves and lines in such perfect proportion? Since when did she move like a cheetah on the hunt? Who taught her how to showcase that mouth-watering bikini in a way that would shame a professional model? And why, dear God, was she looking at me as if coming to a lover's bed?

*

I survived that trip, although I certainly came away with scars for it. We didn't so much 'swim' as stand around in the cool water for a bit before getting out and packing up to leave. The things Ellie said earlier about the water seemed to linger in our minds and taint the usual river play, and the 'swimming' session was rather lukewarm and finished pretty quickly.

Whatever spell Ellie put me under faded, to my unending relief, almost as quickly as it had hit me. Maybe it was the proximity to her, once she got in the water, giggling and acting more like the girl I knew than some fantasy creature come to life. Despite my relief however, I was terribly shaken, and craved some time alone to sort this all out.

We packed up and headed back to the car. By the time I sat down behind the wheel, I felt almost back to normal, save for the lingering anxiety. I tried to focus on the present, and force down the strangeness. I had to go shirtless, since the dirty, torn, bloody shirt had been the only one I thought to bring. But I aimed one of the air vents down to my scrape, and the cold air felt delightful on the hot skin.

Ellie seemed to be cold though, and she kept one of the towels we had brought draped over her lap and arms for the first half of the trip back. I wondered if she wasn't feeling well, but she seemed fine, and said she was just chilly in the AC after being in the sun. I offered to turn it down, but she insisted I didn't. Once she noticed how nice it was for me to have the cold air on my injury, she wouldn't let me turn it off for anything.

I was curious as to what was on her mind, since she was quiet for several miles. A few times, she gave a peculiar exhalation of breath, followed quickly by a small, odd cough, which concerned me. Was she getting sick suddenly? I turned one time to check on her, and found her with her eyes closed, head back against the headrest. Her skin looked rosy, as if flushed from heat or exertion.

“You sure you're okay?” I asked her.

Her eyes opened languidly, and took a moment to focus on mine. They had a far-off, hazy look, as if she were looking through me, almost. She said nothing, but grinned wolfishly, gave a slightly shuddering cough, and nodded.

“Just kind of sleepy,” She said heavily, “And I was almost there, too.”

She took a couple of deep breaths, and reclined her head again, “I'm fine, I promise. Thank you.”

I gave Brad a concerned look, and he shrugged, “She gets like that sometimes. She's a weirdo, but she's okay.”

Ellie giggled a bit at that, but said nothing else. And sure enough, about ten minutes and a handful of odd coughing and sighing instances later, the towel was discarded and she had seemingly come back to life. She planted her head between Brad and me for the most part, talking and joking as if nothing had happened. Brad tried a few times to get her to sit back and put her seat belt on, but within minutes, she'd pop back up, energetic and buoyant as ever.

• Part 3