Hey Monday

g a r d e n s

-noah-

"Hey, sleepyhead," I heard Ellen call. "It's time to get up." 

I blearily opened my eyes and blinked a few times. Ellen was right in my face, her wide green eyes peering at me intently. 

"What time is it?" I asked with a yawn. I had driven nearly halfway across Oregon yesterday, so I was understandably tired. But when Ellen is passionate about something, it becomes more important than health and safety. I found that insanely attractive- when a girl was super passionate about something, and you could see it in her eyes and in everything she did. 

"It's nine-thirty," Ellen said. "And we need to take a selfie." 

I blinked. "No." 

"Yes." 

"Okay." 

Ellen smiled at me. She knew that I was wrapped around her finger- she could get me to do anything she wanted, and I hated it.

Yes, she was my best friend in the world, but I hated her. Hated her and loved her at the same time. She knew all the things that bothered me, little ways to get under my skin and bug me like no one else could.

I pulled a goofy face for the selfie and so did Ellen. She brought the phone down so that we could see it. "Ew, I look like crap," she muttered. 

I guess to most people that would be true. Her hair, dark brown with some lighter streaks in it, was woven into a messy braid with strands sticking out. Her face was clear of makeup and she was just wearing a big sweater and some leggings. 

No, she didn't look nice, but she never looked nice. She looked striking, intense, different. The kind of beautiful that wasn't obvious at first. Ellen didn't have big boobs or a butt the size of a small country, but god, she was gorgeous.

 "C'mon, it's time for breakfast," Ellen whined, pulling on my arm. I smiled and followed her to the little kitchen section of Jamie.

Ellen reached into a cupboard and extracted two plastic bowls that we had gotten from Target a few weeks earlier. Then, she got out a full gallon of milk and some Froot Loops. 

"A breakfast fit for kings," she said with a faint smile. 

I poured myself a heaping bowl of cereal and plunged my spoon into it. 

"So what's this garden place you speak of?" Ellen asked curiously, referring to what I had told her yesterday. I knew that she wasn't really into gardens, but I had looked online and this place was stunning. 

"Oh, the Japanese Garden? We can head over there in a couple minutes, if you'd like. I just need to change." 

Ellen nodded. "Take your time." 

I finished my cereal and then headed into the back bedroom. Ellen had slept there last night, while I had resided on the couch. I wasn't complaining though; that couch was fluffy as a cloud. 

My bag full of stuff was on a shelf above the bed. I stood on the mattress and pulled it down, then started digging through to find my favorite sweatshirt- one that said "Westview High School Basketball" in bold, proud letters. 

I wasn't really that great at basketball, but I liked to play anyway. I had made a few friends through the team, and of course the ladies were suckers for basketball players.

Well, two of them were, but I had always turned them down.. 

I slipped on the sweatshirt and a pair of my regular old sweatpants and headed out to meet Ellen.