Thorn [Farkle Minkus]

[02] Day Off

Ellie woke up a bit later than she usually day the following day. She woke up an hour after she did on school days. She laid on her bed for a few minutes, checking her messages. Her friends texted her, checking on her, making sure she's okay.

She responded to their texts, assuming them that she's okay and that she's just not feeling the best that day.

Ellie got out of bed and changed into sweatpants and a hoodie she stole from Aaron. 

She went down to the kitchen and had breakfast. Anna still had the table set up. Ellie assumed that she was waiting for Ellie to have breakfast.

At that point, the food went cold, but Ellie didn't mind it. She knew the food was sitting there for an hour, waiting to be a eaten.

Ellie put the remaining eggs on the plate and a few pieces of bacon and ate them. She cleaned up the table and was almost done when Anna came into the kitchen with two cups of coffee.

"Hey," Anna said. "Feeling okay?"

Ellie nodded. "Yeah."

"You didn't have to clean up the table," Anna said. 

"I know, but since you've always been cleaning up after us, I just thought that I should clean up the table this time," Ellie said.

"Thank you," Anna said. "I got you something on the way home from dropping Justin and Tyler.

"Thanks," Ellie said, forcing a smile onto her face.

Ellie took her cup from Anna and took a sip from it. 

"You know," Anna said, "I know that I'm just your maid, you can talk to me about anything, right?"

"I know," Ellie said, "I just... I guess with everything that happened Mom and Dad, I just..."

Anna looked at Ellie, sympathetically. 

"I know, it's hard," Anna said. "You and your brothers went through a lot during the divorce, but it'll be okay."

"How?" Ellie said, her voice cracking. "I haven't seen Dad in around a year. If I knew Dad's side, I think I would be fine, but Mom won't let us seem him."

"Come here," Anna said, pulling Ellie into a comforting hug. "It'll be okay."

They let go.

"You've got your brothers on your side," Anna said, smiling a little. "And great friends around you.

"Yeah," Ellie said. "I just... I don't like talk about it."

"It's okay," Anna assured her. "I understand."

After talking to Anna fro a few more minutes, Ellie went up to her room and finished her drink while working on the work she was missing from school. Her teachers responded quicker than Ellie expected and she was able to finish her make up rock before her brothers came home. 

Anna went out to get them burgers from their favorite burger place for lunch.

William picked Justin and Tyler up from school and brought them home to eat before taking them to their extracurricular activities. 

Ellie took her food up to her room and ate her food in her bedroom. She talked to her friends in a group video call while eating lunch and helping them on homework. Aaron and Anthony helped her with the homework she wasn't able to finish on her own.

Later that day, Ellie went down to the living room. Justin and Tyler came home and started working on their homework. Tyler would occasionally would ask Ellie or Justin for help with homework. 

"Do you feel better now?" Anna asked.

"Yeah," Ellie said. "I think I feel good enough to go to school tomorrow."

"Good," Anna smiled. "I can't let you miss a ton of school days."

"I know," she smiled weakly.

Ellie, Justin and Tyler had dinner and spent the rest of the night watching a movie. Anna made them go to bed around ten because they have school the following day.