Something New

From two words bloom a beautiful crush of magnum proportions. "F*****g nerd". There is few curse words, references to drugs, and mild sexual references. ALL REVIEWS WELCOME!

She didn’t think she looked bad. Ellie Casanova fixes her auburn hair and thin framed glasses in front of the restroom mirror. But she must be. The guy, she doesn’t even know his name, called her a ‘f*****g nerd’. She doesn’t even know why he decided to say it to her. She sighs, she’s never had such an outburst but he just irked her nerves too much.

She exits the restroom and heads along her path again. She can’t believe it. It shouldn’t be happening to her, and definitely not on her first day at a new school. She stops in front of the dingy brown door and sighs for the second time in five minutes. She pushes it open and steps inside.

“Welcome Miss. Casanova, have a seat and welcome to Rosewood High. Detention starts in five minutes.” The man says without looking up from his paper. The other three students stare at her as she scurries into the back room.

‘I hope this goes by fast.’ She thinks as she sits in the back row. The only other girl snickers but turns when Ellie looks at her quizzically. She turns away and sits down low in her seat. The late bell rings and just as it finishes the door swings open.

“Taylor, so damn dramatic. Sit down. Detention starts now.” The teacher says glancing only slightly from his paper. Taylor smirks at the man, setting a Gatorade on the table and strutting to the back. His smirk turns to a frown. Ellie gulps audibly at the angry stare of her aforementioned tormentor.

“What’s your name nerd?” He growls slamming his hands on the desk.

“Ellie. I mean, Elliot. Um Casanova.” She stutters. She mentally berates herself as she looks away from his murky blue eyes.

“Well Ellie. I mean Elliot Casanova. You’re in my f*****g seat. Move before I make you.” He growls at her again. She makes a hasty decision and moves to the front of the room.  The teacher never moves his eyes from the paper.

#

Detention could not have ended sooner and Ellie scurries out of the room to her locker. She doesn’t know what she did but she hates that Taylor, or whatever, was glaring at her the whole time. She knows because she felt eyes on her back, burning holes into her head.

She quickly gets to her locker and pants lightly. She didn’t need to run and she’s sure she embarrassed herself more than she needed to. She giggles lightly to herself as she turns and begins to retrieve the rest of her things to depart.

She isn’t paying much attention to her surroundings so she doesn’t notice the two jocks from detention waltzing up to her.

“Hey, it’s little Elliot Casanova. Hey cutie. How you doing?” The taller one taunts. She backs away slightly.

“I don’t want any trouble.” She speaks lowly. The two boys laugh heartily at her timid behavior.

“We don’t want any trouble either. We just want to have some fun. I mean you have a really nice dress on, we just wanna know what’s underneath it. What’dya say?” The other boy asks.

“I say leave her the f**k alone a******s.” A third voice enters the conversation. Ellie doesn’t know whether she is scared or relieved by the voice.

“Aw, come on Taylor. We just wanna have a little fun with her.” The first one says smirking.

“Do you want to get on my bad side again Justin? And Adam, you’ve never been on my bad side. You must want to know what it’s like.” He states with a disdainful look. The two boys have the nerve to look petrified.

“Come on Taylor. There ain’t no need for that. We’ll let her be. Just don’t hit us.” The smaller one says. Taylor flexes towards the two and they cower away.

“Let everyone know. If anyone f***s with this nerd then they will have to f**k with me. And I will start breaking jaws. Got it?” They nod and head back down the hallway, leaving the two alone in a heartbeat.

“Thanks.” She stutters out. She curses herself again at her stutter.

“Yeah, whatever. Not even a nerd like you deserves to get sexually harassed. Welcome to Rosewood High.” He slips a cigarette into his lips and leaves before she can say anything else.

#

What happened on Ellie’s first day of school is like a legend. Even three weeks later everyone still cowers slightly when they have to work with her and it’s mostly the boys. Ellie doesn’t understand why until she sees Taylor up close again. And not in the best ways.

She was walking from the nurse’s office and as she is about to turn down what should have been a deserted hallway when she sees him.

He’s fighting with a jock. And it looks bad. Not for Taylor but for the jock. He has a bloody nose and it’s running down his shirt. He’s swaying from side to side as Taylor stands rigid with his fists flexing at his sides.

“I told your little f**k boys to leave her alone and you go and pull some s**t like this? Oh Jeffrey, I said I was breaking jaws. I meant it.” He says before he lunges again. Jeffrey tries to avoid it but he wasn’t quick enough and Taylor is upon him, punching him repeatedly in the face as the jock tries in vain to block them.

Ellie can hear her heart beat rapidly in her chest as she moves from view. She remembers what Jeffery did, he asked her out right if he could come over and give her some ‘dope d’. She shuddered and told her friend Kelly about it. It must have spread like wild fire and gotten to Taylor.

“Guess you’ll be the lesson that I’m serious now huh?” There is a weak groan and Ellie hides in the door jam. The footsteps fade and she sighs a breath before moving out the slot. The coast is clear and she begins her trek to class. She feels like she will get another detention but when she looks at her phone barely two minutes have passed since she left the office.

Before she enter her social studies class she feels a breath on her neck and smells the faint hint of cigarettes.

“You better not tell anyone what you saw nerd.” He whisper in her ear. He runs a single finger up her exposed arm and she blushes, entering the room soon after.

#

The week went by much smoother, the boys still avoid her but Taylor makes a habit of showing up at her classes, or at least she thinks he does. Whenever she looks again, he’s gone. Kelly tells her that Taylor doesn’t go to class but that he is like some genius who passes all his classes with straight A’s.

He doesn’t share her lunch but she sees him that time the most. Outside, taking a smoke break, which is illegal to smoke on school grounds, but they don’t seem to care much.

She shares one class with him. History. Well he doesn’t come but when he does he bumps his foot into the back of her chair. Once was an accident, even twice. But repeatedly during the entire lesson is on purpose.

“Taylor, cut it out!” She whispers harshly. He chuckles and leans forward.

“Or what nerd?” He taunts. He runs his finger up her bare shoulder and chuckles at her shudder.

“Mr. Norwood. The lighting is really messing with my eyes can I move?” She asks sweetly. Mr. Norwood smiles and nods.

“Just this once Miss. Casanova.” She smiles in kind and looks smugly at the boy.

“Good one nerd.” He commends her while smirking.

“Quiet Mr. Mackenzie.” The teacher begins his lesson again.

Ellie leaves the classroom with a smile on her face, she feels like she has earned a little bit of respect from the boy of her secret dreams. She meets Kelly at the doors to the cafeteria and they sit with the rest of their friends.

Ellie is mostly lost in her thoughts. Taylor is such an enigma. He keeps his distance from her but for whatever reason threatens and, in Jeffrey’s case, beats people up. She spots him now. Sitting outside smoking by the cafeteria delivery doors. She excuses herself and retreats to the outside.

“Taylor, can I ask you something?” She asks sitting next to him. He barely acknowledges her.

“What nerd?” He says after a few more pulls from his cigarette.

“Why do you protect me? I mean beating up Jeffrey and threatening guys who come on too strong.” She wonders. She doesn’t mind, she finds it flattering actually.

“You haven’t figured it out yet?” He snorts and looks at her.

“Figured what out?” She is genuinely confused. She wasn’t much for social skills.

“Figure it out nerd.” He smirks and walks away.

#

She’s baffled. Utterly and completely baffled. Here she is sitting in her room at three a.m. doing nothing. But that isn’t what she is baffled about. She’s baffled because Taylor Mackenzie is sitting by her window sill a cigarette dangling from his lips as he smirks at her blushing cheeks. She figured him out. Two weeks ago she figured him out. But she refused to believe it. Why would a gorgeous guy like Taylor Mackenzie, with his flowing blonde hair and pristine white teeth, though he smoke like a chimney, want anything to do with her Elliot Casanova? With her flaming red hair, dull green eyes and whose father is a curator and her mother a gynecologist?

“Hey nerd.” He breaks her inner musings by speaking. She never noticed his voice was like liquid gold. Shining and transfixing her with its silkiness.

“Stop calling me that Taylor.” She blushes. She would sit up but with this dry spell they are going through she isn’t wearing anything but a thin old tank top, with no bra, and a pair of cotton panties. She really knows how to embarrass herself with this guy.

“Quiet. You don’t want to wake your ‘rents now do you?” He ignores her instead giving her his signature smirk and she shrugs.

“My mom sleeps with ear plugs because my dad is a dead sleeper who snores.” They quiet down and they faintly hear her father snore rumble the walls gently.

“So you could have guys creeping through your window all night and they wouldn’t know?” He wiggles his eyebrows.

“I’m only seventeen! And no, I’m not like that. And why are you here?” She blushes deeply as he slips all the way in and slides into bed next to her, over the covers of course.

“Because I haven’t seen you in a week.” He mumbles, He looks at her through is long eyelashes. It’s true. He got suspended last Wednesday for starting a fight with a teacher in a class he rarely goes too.

“Aren’t you sweet?” She says sarcastically. When he looks at her there is nothing but truth and honesty in his eyes.

“Yeah. I did. I thought you told Kelly you figured it out.” Kelly? Why is she telling Taylor so much of her business?

“She’s my sister, she lives with her dad and because my mom has nobody and I have no clue who my dad is, I’m stuck with the old bat. But she tells me junk every now and then. But nothing super personal. She isn’t a snitch. But I can tell there is something you want to do. Something you haven’t told Kelly. That I won’t tell her.” He begins. She doesn’t know what he is talking about? What does she want to do?

His lips are soft on hers. He goes so gently until she responds and moves with his lips, synchronizing tentatively. He smirks and pushes harder on her lips.

“Taylor… We can’t…” She mumbles. He sighs and pulls away. She sits up on her elbows. She doesn’t know what to say.

Sorry, I thought, you know…” He slips out the bed and before she can say anything he is out the window again.

“Damn it.” She flops onto the bed.

#

She hasn’t seen Taylor since the night at her house, three days ago. Granted it was Friday night and today is only Monday but he has yet to surface around school, well not anywhere Ellie hangs. And she has been looking.

She talked to Kelly and her best friend genuinely thought that she knew they were related, separated only by ten months. Ellie shrugged it off because she doesn’t care but she wanted to know if she heard anything from him.

“No Tay is super secretive, but he’ll turn up. Why you miss him?” Kelly teases. Ellie shakes her head no but from the giant blush coating her cheeks says otherwise.

“There is nothing wrong with me wanting to know where Taylor is.” She shrugs, Kelly just giggles and pinches her cheeks.

Just then two jocks walk up to the pair. Smirks on their faces. Kelly scowls and Ellie shrinks away. She doesn’t have a good track record with the blue Varsity jackets.

“Soo Kellz. Where is your brother?” The shaggy haired boy says. The other with dreads, just looks around nervously.

“He’s around I’m sure. But are you sure you want to do this?” She scowls crossing her arms.

“Haven’t seen him all day, maybe he had finally got expelled.” The boy continues.

“With my dad as the principal? I doubt it.” She glares. The boy glares back.

“So what? My dad can get him fired if he really wanted to.” He tries. Kelly smirks triumphantly and Ellie looks down shyly.

“So you harassing and threatening my sister? You guys must be new to this school. I’m Taylor Mackenzie. And if you don’t get out my f*****g site I will punch the f**k out of you.” Taylor says behind the two boys.

“Checkmate b*****s. Bye-bye.”  Kelly taunts at the two. They quickly scurry away but not before Taylor grips the shaggy haired boy by his neck.

“I’ll f*****g punch your lights out before school ends, you won’t know when and you won’t know where but it will happen. I promise you that Scott.” He growls in his face. Scott gulps and Taylor lets him go running away.

“Hey Kellz. Elliot.” He smirks at the two. Ellie blushes and looks up at the boy.

“Okay. Yeah I’m gonna go… to class. Walk her to class dude.” Kelly bumps her brother and meets up with their other friends.

“Hey.” He says again. Ellie gives a quiet reply back before Taylor ushers her away, hand on the small of her back.

“Listen about Friday…” She starts. He shrugs it off.

“It’s cool. Really.” He mumbles. She pouts but doesn’t say anymore. They walk the short distance to her class and stand out front.

“Will you come again? I liked seeing you.” She whispers. His eyebrow quirks and his signature smirk graces his lips.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, don’t act so surprised. I know you liked seeing me too.” She states boldly. He leans in close to her ear and kisses her neck.

“Okay. See you tonight baby.” He kisses her again and struts away, throwing a quick wink over his shoulder as Ellie stands blushing and shocked in front of the door.

#

“It’s all over school! Oh em gee!” Kelly squeals as she runs up to the unsuspecting girl. Ellie jumps slightly from her seat at the lunch table.

“What are you talking about?” She says blushing, she already knows, girls are looking at her and giggling and whispering about the kiss.

“My brother! You! A kiss! Taylor Eric Mackenzie does not kiss girls, like ever! Well there was that one time but well he probably shouldn’t have been in her room that night.” Kelly whispers the last part. Ellie blushes hard and looks at her best friend in shock.

“He was drunk and said he had messed up his chance with you. I needed to know what happened baby! Now don’t worry, nobody knows about that part.” She winks at her best friend, who hasn’t stopped blushing since Kelly arrived.

“Okay. Thank you.” Ellie says simply. She can see Taylor walking out by the docks of the kitchen with a few lunch ladies, cigarettes in hand.

“Hey Kellz. Why doesn’t Taylor go to so many of his classes? Like really, really.” She always wondered but never had the nerve to ask.

“He’s just really, really smart. He’s already finished the curriculum for the entire year. He like, has a 215 IQ or something. One of those misunderstood geniuses. Plus there is other stuff that only he can tell you about going on and so my dad and the school board just lets him do whatever so long as he keeps the schools test scores great with him acing every state test he takes. He even took one of those tests that if you pass they pay for your college. He passed. So yeah. That’s one of the reasons most guys don’t like him. He’s smart and strong and doesn’t take s**t.” She explains in mostly one breath. Their other two friends Jessica and Lindsay already know so they are immersed in their own conversation.

“Wow, well I love you guys so I’ll tell you what happened. He kissed me on Friday. He came over and we were talking and he kissed me!” She gushes. She’s never had a guy give her this much attention, even though he rarely shows it in public.

The girls begin to shout their excitement and ask for more details but there isn’t much more to tell.

“It was kind of my first kiss…” She admits to the trio. They stop, shocked.

“WHAT!? But you’re gorgeous!!!” Lindsay shouts. Half the cafeteria looks in their direction.

“What you never heard four girls telling each other their beautiful!? Geez mind your business! Cause Taylor sure is looking.” She points out the large windows and there is Taylor, stalking towards the double doors. Everyone immediately turns about their own business.

“Thanks Linds. But yeah last year… Let’s just say I went through a hell of a transformation over the summer.” Ellie says solemnly. Kelly wants to ask about it but Taylor is immediately upon her, doting her with silent affection.

“I’m fine Taylor. I’m not hungry guys. Um, excuse me.” She leaves the table and cafeteria in a hurry.

“What happened?” He turns to his sister in a flash. She shrugs, she doesn’t even know what happened.

“I don’t know! She said something about this summer was a huge transformation and you were her first kiss.” He mumbles ‘s**t.’ and rushes out after her.

He’s sure she went to the girl’s bathroom but he can’t be positive.

“Nerd? You in here?” He shouts into the one closest to the lunchroom. Two blushing and giggling freshman come out.

“Your girlfriend isn’t in there. She left the school, we watched her head out the main doors.” One girls says shyly.

“Thanks kid.” He mumbles, heading back into the cafeteria.

“Get my homework and lemme borrow your car. Elliot left school.”

“I can with my dad, my car is in the shop. Fender bender.”

“I coulda fixed it for free loser. Okay. Love you.” He mumbles kissing her head. She smiles and repeats the sentiment. She doesn’t hear it often from her brother so she soaks it up.

He heads back out and searches for her car in the parking lot. It’s gone. He groans and starts to jog the half mile to her house.

‘I really like this damn girl.’ He thinks to himself.

#

Ellie slips into the cool sheets of her bed. She hates thinking about last year. She was ugly. She had braces and thicker glasses like her father’s. She was chunky with acne and was bullied constantly.

She originally thought Taylor picked on her because of it but she guessed wrong. But it doesn’t stop her from thinking he will when he finds out.

“You should probably close your window from now on.” Taylor says slipping in the room.

“Go away please.” She cries into her pillow.

“Ellie. Elliot. Talk to me huh?” He asks.

“NO! Just go away.” She cries harder.

“I made that mistake before.” He says gently. He sits on the edge of the bed and smiles down at her.

“Oh Taylor. I was ugly. Not just ew look at her braces ugly. I had acne, and braces, and was fat, I was bullied constantly, and that’s why we moved. They bullied me so much that I nearly…” She stops and turns away but Taylor grabs her chin, gently forcing her to look at him.

“You tried to die?” He mumbles out the rest. She looks away ashamed. “Well what changed?”

“I woke up in the hospital and my braces were gone, during the summer my dad got this job so I started walking and running and eating healthy and losing weight. My acne cleared and my mom bought me new clothes.” She leans on his shoulder.

“My mom is a heroin addict. She gets high all day, every day. I pay all the bills. When I came over I was just getting off work at the factory. My grandpa owned the house and it was already paid for, luckily he put it in my name when he died so she couldn’t sell it for drugs.” He admits to her since she admitted something personal to him.

“Why don’t you get her help?”

“We have. She gets out and starts again. That’s why Kelly doesn’t live with us. Her dad has offered me a place but I can’t leave her there to the house foreclosed on. My grandfather spent forty-five years paying for that house.” He states angrily. Ellie rubs he arm and he calms.

“I’m sorry.” She says simply. He gives her another rare smile and kisses her head.

“Was I good?” He says pulling them both into a laying position.

“For what?”

“A first kiss? And you know being all caring and s**t. I’ve never had a girlfriend before.” He mumbles into her hair, slightly embarrassed.

“Well, I don’t have anyone to compare you to, but I felt butterflies. Is that good?”

“Yeah, I’ll take that. I don’t kiss girls. Not on the lips. Sorry I told Kelly. I ended up going to the bar.” He shrugs.

“It’s okay. And you were great with the caring.” She says blushing. He kisses her head again and rubs her back and shoulders.

“I don’t know about you but this s**t is making me tired. And you have a comfy bed.”

“You don’t have one?” she yawns. She’s getting tired and his hands are warm.

“When I crash at Kelly’s. At my house I have a couch. Only ‘cause she can’t get anyone to buy it cause it’s so old.” He mumbles out. He’s nearly asleep with her in his arms. He can get used to this.

“Only a small nap. My mom will be home at three.” She says before drifting off to sleep. Taylor nods barely conscience anymore.

#

They both are having the best sleep they’ve had in a long time. Ellie can hear a weird tapping which is odd because she is supposed to be in a field with Taylor, kissing and other things that are making her face heat up. The tapping gets louder and she groans before peeking one eye open. Bad idea. She sees a heel, not just any heel a ruby red size nine pump. Tapping against the floor of the open door frame.

Ellie peeks her eyes out of the cover she was wishing were covering her more, or covering Taylor completely, but alas they aren’t. He isn’t even under them. But his hands are. And they are covering two places a guy has never touched before. And her mother, the gynecologist, can tell.

“I can explain.” She says immediately. She chances a glance at her mother’s face and is unpleasantly surprised. She has a devilish smirk on her face.

“IS he the one who snuck over Friday? The reason you were in such a sour mood?” She whispers in Irish. She twirls her red hair in her hands.

“Yes mother. Now stop trying to embarrass me.” She whispers harshly. Taylor’s grip tightens, in a very inappropriate place, before releasing her.

“Too late for that nerd.” Taylor mumbles above her, slipping his hands from the warmth of his, kinda, girlfriend’s body.

“Taylor Mackenzie. Um, I go to school with your daughter.”

“Such a polite boy Elliot. I like him. Though you know how your father is, and he will be home early today. Four, early.” Ellie looks at the clock, crap that’s ten minutes from now.

“Okay, thank you mom.” She blushes when she sees Taylor’s happy side and looks to her expectant mother.

“Oh, I guess I should leave so you two can smooch.” She teases and leaves the blushing girl and smirking boy behind.

“She’s nice.”

“Yeah, she’s been waiting on me to bring a boy home. It’s scary actually.” She mumbles blushing brightly. He kisses her lips gently.

“It’s cute. So before I have to sneak out because we wasted so much time. Will you, you know, hang out with me Friday? I have this weekend off.” He rubs his head shyly. Taylor doesn’t do shy and he doesn’t do dates. Ellie is shouting in her head.

“Um yeah. Yeah, that’ll be great.” She says blushing more. They kiss a little longer before her mother sneaks up on them.

“Such modest kissing, I was hoping for more from such a bad boy.” She teases. “Your father is home, seems like he will meet him. Make up something.”

“Mom, are you asking me to lie to daddy?” Ellie asks incredulously.

“Of course. Teenage experiences! You’re getting them late honey!” She calls as she heads down to her husband.

Ellie starts to panic. She doesn’t know how to lie to her father. He maybe a curator at a museum but he is scary big, muscular big.

“Just calm down nerd I got this.” He pulls her up and struts out the room and down the stairs. Mr. Casanova is in the hall with his back turned to the descending pair.

“Hello. I already had the pleasure of meeting your wife. I’m Taylor Mackenzie. Ellie is my history partner. I told my teacher I didn’t need one but I guess he thought that Elliot here needed to pass with a good grade.” He jests. Mr. Casanova does not look as amused since Ellie never mentioned a project before.

“What’s the project?”

“We got the Salem Witch Trials. I think my teacher is assuming the nerd is a witch. He looked her dead in the eyes and said witch.” Taylor continues. Ellie stands just behind him, trying to contain her laughter.

“Why would he choose such a small black mark?” Her father ponders.

“How about the Indian Removal? Or the Civil War? Or any of the wars? Or the slavery of the Africans? Segregation? Or anything else that has happened since the formation of the United States of America? Can you sir, even name a time period in which there is not destruction of a people in our ‘great land?’ The point is to bring forth the knowledge of our land.” Taylor challenges. Ellie stands in awe of him. He’s never showed this much passion in class before.

“Hmm, well I guess so. Good one Mr. Mackenzie.” Mr. Casanova pats the young man’s shoulder and heads into the kitchen. Ellie pushes Taylor out the door before anything else can be said.

“That was amazing! You know so much! I wish you really were my partner.” Ellie gushes.

“Well my project is already done. Plus I just said we’re partners. Totally get to use the door now.” Taylor jokes. He peeks into the window and sees nothing so he leans down and kisses his sort of girlfriend.

When they pull apart Ellie is blushing. Taylor smirks and pulls out a cigarette.

“See you later nerd.” He says, kissing her one more time before departing.

“Later Taylor. Have a good day at work.” She calls. He throws her a wave before he is out of sight.

Ellie enters the house and leans love struck against the door. Her mother comes rushing out of the kitchen and pulls her daughter upstairs.

“A guy like that and we need to have a talk.” Her mother says sternly. “And buy a box of condoms honey. Maybe two boxes.”

Ellie doesn’t think her face has ever been so red for so long before.

#

Friday couldn’t have come quicker. But the day sure did take it’s time going by. Taylor come to her classes and made a big habit of kissing her neck, or cheek, or even her lips before strutting off to wherever he goes during classes.

More girls are starting to glare at her but Kelly assures her it’s because Taylor wouldn’t have sex with them and they’re jealous.

As Kelly and Ellie sit in the main lobby just as the day has ended, something strange happens. Mr. Worth, Kelly’s dad, and Taylor both come running from somewhere in the building. The other is a woman with wavy blonde hair and huge bags under her eyes, comes walking into the building. She’s stumbling and scratching at her arms and, as she gets closer, Ellie notices the resemblance both Kelly and Taylor have to the woman.

“Taylor! Taylor!” Kelly shrinks away next to Ellie and she feels the need to protect the girl who is older than her from this woman she is so scared of.

“Karen! What the f**k are you doing here!?” Taylor yells at the woman, grabbing her before she can come any closer to the two girls she has just spotted. She ignores him as she looks at Ellie, well past her, at Kelly. Mr. Worth stands protectively in front of the girls.

“Karen you need to get the f**k out here!” Mr. Worth shouts at his ex-wife. She stays looking in the vicinity of Kelly as Ellie ushers the girl away.

She can hear the shouting of her kind of boyfriend and she pulls Kelly closer to her body as they rush into the bathroom and away from the shouting.

“Kelly baby girl are you okay?”

“No! My mom is some sick addict! And now she is here creating drama! I hear what Taylor says to his buddies but I never thought I would have to see it!” She cries and falls to the ground unceremoniously. Ellie drops down and pulls her best friend close.

“I’m so sorry! I wish you didn’t have to.” Ellie can’t stop her own tears from falling. Taylor bursts into the bathroom and spots the two girls crying on the floor.

“Come on. Get up.” Taylor says. He doesn’t have a readable expression on his face as he looks at the friends. He holds his hands out and pulls Ellie, then Kelly off the ground.

“Where is she?” Kelly whispers, like she will come out of nowhere and harm her.

“Scott took her back to my place. I’ll get you home safe.”

“I’ll drive you guys.”

“No, um, I have some things I want to talk to her about.” Taylor avoids eye contact with her and she is hurt.

“Okay. Okay.” Ellie says defeated, briskly walking away from the siblings. Taylor catches her before she gets too far down the hall.

“I’ll pick you up around seven yeah?” He looks shyly in her eyes and she smiles weakly. She can see the defeat from this moment and also the fading red marks across his cheek.

“Okay, call me. Please?” She asks. He looks around and notices only his sister is still here, and possible a few more teachers, and the security guard, so he kisses Ellie with as much passion he can and will allow on school grounds, she is a lady of course. He pulls away with a smirk to match her adoring blush.

“We’ll walk you to your car.” He mumbles close to her lips. He can feel her nodding, dazzled by the kiss.

“A great first kiss to ever compare.” She breathes out. He chuckles as his sister joins them and they escort the dazed girl to her car.

“I’ll call when I’m done over at Kelly’s.”

“Text me bestie.” The two siblings say simultaneously.

“But not during our date.” Taylor adds.

“Oh so you admit it’s a date? All this week when I asked you said you were just hanging out.” Kelly jokes, almost to her full normal self.

“Shut your pie hole.” He laments and walks away.

“That was an amazing looking kiss, even though it was from my brother. Text me when you get home and not while you’re driving. Love you.” She runs off after her still walking brother, turning to wave at the redhead. Ellie calls to them both and drives home silently.

The first thing she does is hug her mother and thanks her for everything she has done for her. Her mother is baffled but will never turn down a hug and compliment from her only child. And when her dad returns she does the same thing, with the same result. She shrugs and heads off to her room to get ready for her date, not date, with Taylor.

#

“Um honey where is she going? Where are you going? You are wearing a dress out this house and you expect me not to notice? My daughter wears shorts and tee shirts. Not dresses and all that junk!” Mr. Casanova cries as his little. Not so little anymore, girl comes bounding down the stairs with her hair curled and a floral flared dress hugging her waist with black flats on.

“Daddy I haven’t worn anything like that to school all year!” She blushes.

“And is that make-up?! Is my… is my baby going on a.. a date?!” He dramatizes in the background as her mother checks her make-up and slips a few condoms in the clutch purse while her father isn’t looking.

“Just in case.” She says winking. Ellie can’t contain the blush painting her cheeks redder than what they were as the doorbell rings. Her father rushes past the two and opens the door, blocking their view.

“Mr. Casanova.” Taylor speaks, Ellie can’t see past her father’s bulky frame as he blocks the door.

“Mr. Mackenzie. Come in first.” Mr. Casanova moves to the side.

To say Ellie is floored is an understatement. Taylor is wearing a suit jacket. Not his normal hooded jean jacket, a light blue dress shirt, but still in his black skinny jeans and light blue canvas vans. His hair is pulled back into a sloppy bun.

While the two teens stare at each other in appreciation Mr. Casanova is growing impatient. He clears his throat unceremoniously and his wife nudges him.

“William!” She chides. “Come sit Taylor.” She has seen him more during this last week than her husband and finds him quite charming, and rugged. Much like her husband when they first started dating, and when Ellie is away.

“Thank you Mrs. Casanova, and Mr. Casanova. I hope you do not think anything less of me because I did not ask your permission before taking your daughter out.” Ellie is starting to think that Taylor was taken over by aliens to learn about intelligent humans because this isn’t her Taylor.

“I just didn’t know until five minutes ago. It would have been nice to have been warned about a man’s first and only child’s first date.” He begins to get dramatic again as he looks over his princess. She is beautiful to say the least.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to daddy, I just didn’t want you to stalk us to make sure he is being nice or anything.” Mr. Casanova looks appalled by the, very true, accusation.

“I…” one look from his wife and he immediately stops.

“They need to go, they have seven-thirty reservations. Have fun you two and don’t forget midnight.” She states ushering them out. “I’ll text you if that changes. You may be a virgin but your father and I are definitely not!” She winks at the two as Mr. Casanova cries indignantly at her.

The two teens blush and head off into the cool fall evening to a red car Ellie has never seen.

“My grandfather’s final pride and joy. I keep it at Kelly and Scott’s place. A Mustang. 1969.” He boasts. Ellie blushes and gets into the open door.

“Beautiful. Yeah, I call her Nanette.” He rubs the car then closes the door gently and runs to the driver’s side. “Off we go.”

#

She doesn’t know how long ago they pulled up to the cliff, stereotypically named make-out point but that is far from what’s going on. They are just talking with music playing in the background.

“So I’m the first person besides you sister and step-dad to sit in this car?” Ellie feels so special now. More special than when she first met Taylor.

“Hell yeah, not just anybody can ride in my car. I inherited it and it means a lot to me that he trusted me with it.” He speaks quietly. Earlier when they were talking she learned his grandfather had severe Alzheimer’s and died with Taylor in the home with him at 76.

“Hey. He made the right decision.” She says affectionately. She pats his thigh and pulls her closer.

“I think I can do this dating thing.” He whispers against her lips. She smiles and nods, whispering against his lips as well.

“I think I can do this boyfriend thing too.” She says before she kisses him.

#

Ellie didn’t lose her virginity that night. Or the on next date or even the next one. Taylor brought her a new experience, a new love for the art of relationships. New feelings that in previous years she didn’t think she would ever experience. And when she did lose her virginity, she cried as Taylor laid loving kisses upon her, telling her he loved her more than his car and his house, and she cried because she knew he meant every word of it.

When Taylor’s mother died from an overdose, He never thought he would allow anyone but his sister to see him cry. But instead he raced to his girlfriend of two amazing years and wept, in sorrow but in some sick fashion, relief. No more burdens, no more drug addicts near his home, no more watching his mother in pain, no more being in pain. Elliot Casanova was a breath of fresh air when she walked into his life. He knew she would be special to him. But how special he couldn’t determine. But he has loved and cherished every minute of it. Mind, body and soul.

They hold hands by the lockers, a new senior class is graduating and Ellie and Taylor are in attendance as speaking alums. The lockers they stand by hold so much significance to the two. The lockers Taylor intervened at, the lockers Taylor smashed many students into that bothered Ellie, Kelly or anyone else the two girls hung out with. The lockers Taylor decorated with clichéd hearts and roses, asking to be Ellie’s Valentine. The lockers where Taylor just presented Ellie with a promise ring and extra key to his house. The lockers where Taylor will undoubtedly return to give her a real engagement ring.

Taylor’s name is called and he smiles. Ellie still swoons at the mere gesture. She smiles at him, her green eyes shining brightly to his blue as he struts on into the gym. There was a dress code and he definitely is not wearing it, with his vans, skinny jeans and hooded jean vest. And here she is in her floral print dress. He looks back one last time with a seductive smirk.

“Hey nerd. I love you.” He winks one last time before he closes the door on her. She believes it every time.

End.

Author's Note

All mistakes are mine...