Ellie & Quinn ❄️ || WLW (Eng)

CHAPTER 8

'Cause it's my life
Better stand tall when they're calling you out
Don't bend, don't break, baby, don't back down
- It's my Life, Bon Jovi

At exactly half past ten, Ellie walked up the driveway to the café with two books clammed under her arm, her hands shoved into the pockets of her jacket. Jodie was already outside, shoveling the fresh snow away to clear the driveway.
"Good morning!" Ellie greeted her and quickly brought the books inside to save them from the snow before she came back outside, "Do you have a second shovel so that I can help you?"

"Yeah, it should be in the shed."

Ellie nodded and went to work herself. For a few minutes, Jodie and her worked in silence until there was a wide passage through the masses of snow in the driveway.

"Let's head inside," Jodie leaned her shovel against the wall of the house, "my hands are freezing."

The two women headed inside and took off their jackets. Ellie shook the melting snowflakes out of her curly hair and quickly took off her shoes.

"Do you have anything I can eat? I haven't had breakfast yet."

"Sure, you can just take something out of the fridge," Jodie smiled her typical wide smile at the younger girl, "tea?"

"I'd love to."

When the water was boiling in the kettle and Ellie was chewing on some toast, she finally told Jodie all about the previous evening.

"It was awful!" She confessed, "I mean, Quinn's friends are nice and all but I felt so uncomfortable the whole time, like an intruder who had snuck into a stranger's house."

She paused for a moment.

"That's probably how Quinn sees me, anyway."

"Don't let her get to you," Jodie advised her kindly, "people that are rude to you are not worth your time."

"Thank you... — I'm really glad I can come here everyday. I wouldn't know what else to do, stuck at home all alone. Or worse, together with Quinn."

Ellie giggled about the words she had said but Jodie suddenly seemed flustered.

"Speaking of which..." Jodie sheepishly ran a hand through her carrot-colored hair that was partially wet from the snow, "I'm afraid you won't be able to visit for a little while."

Ellie let her continue without interruption, anxious yet curious to hear what Jodie had to say.

"Liana gifted me a three-week road trip to Australia yesterday!" Jodie beamed and could not help the wide smile that spread on her lips, "We're going to leave in a couple of days and then we'll rent a van and travel through the country. Neither of us have been to Australia before so we're really excited."

Seeing how happy Jodie was about her upcoming vacation, Ellie could not bring herself to be mad or truly disappointed. She smiled back at Jodie, even though there was a small voice in the back of her head, quietly whispering 'but what will you do when the café is closed?'.

"That's awesome!" Ellie said, "When is your departure day?"

"On Friday," Jodie replied happily, "we plan on flying to Vancouver to spend two days over there. Our flight to Australia leaves on Sunday evening."

As it was Tuesday this very day, Jodie's departure was only a couple of days away.

"And when will you be back?"

"Probably around the beginning of march. We haven't booked our flights back yet."

The two got to work and Jodie got all the cakes from the fridge while Ellie prepared the tables. The day went on without any notable events but below the surface, Ellie's mind was racing.