Thin Ice (10 page)

“Win again Tegan?” Elli says.

“Undefeated baby! Oh hey Dylan! Guys this is David. David, this is Elli and hopefully her boyfriend Dylan.”

“Tegan!”

“Call it like I see it El.”

Shaking her head laughing, Elli says hi to David and nods for me to follow her. I do the bro-shake with the guy and almost hurl at the amount of cologne he has on. Tegan strikes me as a girl who deserves better than what she goes for, but she looks happy, and lives for the moment. Her and Elli are polar opposites in that department.

While Tegan and David continue whatever they’re playing,  I follow Elli into her room and I’m immediately immersed in her world only half way through the door. Her full size bed is right next to the window, and in the opposite corner is an art desk. She also has a flat screen TV mounted next to a bookshelf filled with tons of books and DVDs. I can totally see this as Elli’s room. Her comforter is gray and yellow and everything surrounds that color scheme.

I walk over to her art desk and see she has her sketchbook open. I look to her for approval before I start flipping through the pages. Holy crap. She’s good. Like, really good. The first drawing is a portrait, of I’m guessing her brother in his hockey equipment. It looks like she took a picture of him and just made it black and white. The next page is a sketch of kids playing on the beach. A little girl and a little boy building a sandcastle.

“Elli, these are incredible. When you said you could draw, I didn’t think anything like this.”

“They’re just sketches. I don’t get a lot of time to draw when I have class.”

I put her sketch book down on the desk and look at the bookshelf that has an impressive amount of books on it.

“I’m guessing you like to read?”

“Again, not a lot of time, but yea. Love too. The ones on the top shelf are my favorites.”

Looking over the top shelf, I’ve never heard of any of these books except the Harry Potter series. Towards the end of the shelf, there’s a picture frame with a photo of Elli and I’m guessing her siblings. They’re all laughing and making faces at the camera. Elli is squinting, the other girl is posing like a model, and the young boy is covering his eyes in mock horror.

“That’s my sister Julie and my brother Dom.”

“It looks like you guys are close.”

“We have our moments, but yea.”

Calling in from the other room, Tegan yells, “Elli! Were ordering chinese. What do you guys want?!”

There’s a momentary look of panic in her eyes and then it slowly fades as she answers “The usual”.

I go over to her and wrap her up in my arms and kiss her on the top of her head as she lays on my chest. She wraps her hands around my waist and we stand like that for a minute before Tegan calls out for my order.

“Surprise me,” I call back. Then I look down at Elli and decide to ask a very important question. “So question.”

“Uh oh.”

We break apart enough for her to look up at me, and I look at her with as much seriousness as I can muster before asking “Will you paint me like one of your French Girls?”

The laughter that erupts from her chest has us both laughing like idiots until Tegan comes in and raises her eyebrows. She waits a second so we can catch our breath and then asks “Have we chosen a movie?”

Elli goes to her book shelf, takes out Wreck It Ralph and tosses it to Tegan.

“Again with this one Elli? We’ve watched it like a million times!”

“Dylan hasn't seen it.”

Tegan looks at me as she drops her mouth to the floor and covers it with her hand. Somehow I think she’s making fun of Elli and her obsession with this movie. “Well we can’t have that now can we?” she says.

“No Tegan, I don’t think we can.”

Tegan smiles before leaving the room, and Elli shows me around the rest of her absurdly neat apartment. When the Chinese comes we all sit down on the couch to eat and put the movie on. Elli sits next to me and I realize Tegan is watching her intently, but she goes unnoticed by Elli who is completely absorbed in this Candy Land, video game movie.

Suddenly I am completely absorbed in the film and I realize why Elli thinks it so great. I didn’t realize it was animated, so that’s probably why I’ve never seen it. The last animated movie I saw was The Lion King, I think. But this movie is on a whole other level. When we start finishing up our food, I pull Elli in closer to me and she comes willingly. She smiles up at me before curling up to my side and laying her head on my shoulder. This just feels right, and for the next hour and a half, we relax and watch this movie that is easily becoming one of my favorites, for more than one reason.

When it’s over, David and Tegan disappear and I head out so Elli can get some rest before her class starts tomorrow. I kiss her on her forehead first, and then bring her in for a lasting kiss on her lips. Again, not wanting to push her, I slowly back away but continue to hold her.

“Thank you again for today Dylan. It was perfect.”

“I should be thanking you, beautiful. Will you text me tomorrow and let me know how your class goes?”

“Sure! I’m actually taking two this month. Methods of Design and Digital Storytelling. I’ve been looking forward to this month. It should be fun, but a lot of work.”

“I’m glad you enjoy it. And I’m sure you’ll do great. I can’t wait to hear about it tomorrow.” I bring her in for a quick kiss and slowly leave her apartment after saying goodnight.

On my way home, I decide to throw on some A Day to Remember. Specifically Elli’s favorite songs. I’ve heard these songs a million times, but tonight as they play through my stereo, I really listen. The lyrics are so heartbreaking and my heart breaks a little more for the girl who is trying so hard to hide how broken she is. But I smile for the girl I know she can be.

Elli

It’s been two weeks since I started letting Dylan in, and even on top of my hectic schedule, he still makes it a point to see me as much as possible. Sometimes he even visits me when I’m working in the computer labs, and the looks I get from the class vary. I don’t know what they’re thinking, but I’m pretty sure half of the thoughts include ‘why is a guy like that with a girl like her?’. But for the first time, I’m not completely stressed out, my work is improving, and so is my confidence.

I try to schedule work around Dylan’s games so that I can make as many as possible. I wouldn’t like it if he was putting all this effort in to come and see me and I didn’t do the same as much as I could. He understands my schedule, but I still wouldn’t feel right.

He’s absolutely killing it on the ice. He told me the coach was talking to scouts, trying to get them to come watch him play.

Currently, it’s 7:00 and I’m actually getting out of work early for once since it’s a Friday night and no one is in the studio. I head home, and text Dylan before I take off that that I got out early and he can come over if he wants. He doesn’t text back right away, so I make my way home and get my pajamas on. Tegan went home for the weekend since it’s her mom’s birthday.

When I’m finally settled in, I grab my sketchbook, my pencils and my phone and go sit on the balcony. At Dylan’s last game, I brought my camera and took pictures. I got a close-up of him, completely focused, with his helmet on and sweat dripping down his face. His grey eyes are so intent on the game, it’s like nothing else matters. As soon as I took it I had the urge to draw it.

I start marking out the outline for his head, then his helmet, eyes, nose and mouth. I start defining the shapes of the lines and add details like his iris’, hairline, and neck line.

About twenty minutes into the drawing when I start shading, I see headlights round the corner of my apartment complex and when it gets closer, I notice it’s Dylan’s Jeep. He parks next to my car, jumps out and looks up to where I’m sitting. He grins at me and holds up a shopping bag.

“I come bearing gifts!” he calls out.

“Well then what are you waiting for?!”

He starts up the stairs and I go to meet him at the door. When it opens, I am attacked in a bear hug as he lifts me up to kiss his face. I didn’t think anyone could pick me up like this, but Dylan tends to change my mind about a lot of things. He looks back at me, grinning, still holding me in the air and says a simple “hi.”

“Well hello to you too!”

He slowly lowers me down and looks toward where I was on the balcony. He’s wearing his Wolves sweatpants and a grey long sleeve shirt. I wish I could pull off looking so good in sweats. I probably just look like a bum right now in my yoga pants and plain t-shirt.

“What are you up to?”

“Just sketching. I’m glad you came over!”

“I left my house as soon as you texted me, but I had to make a pit stop.” He holds up the bag in front of him and I eye him suspiciously. “We, Elli, are making s’mores and having a movie night.”

“S’mores?”

“Yea, you know,  the American after BBQ tradition. Graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows. Please tell me you know what a s’more is.”

Smacking his arm with the back of my hand, I reply. “Of course I know what it is. I don’t remember the last time I made them.”

“Well tonight, we will make them microwave style while watching one of the greatest movies ever made.” He puts his hand into the bag and pulls out Happy Gilmore.

“I can’t argue with you there! Let me just get my stuff from the balcony.” I put all my art supplies away, and head towards Dylan in the kitchen, making easy work of putting together these s’mores. I watch him as he assembles a plate of crackers with chocolate and marshmallows, and sticks it in the microwave.

“You’re a pro at this, aren’t you?”

“These are my favorite. I can never pass them up. My mom gets offended because I’ll choose these over whatever she bakes for the restaurant. They’re not as good as when you make them over a fire, but either way I could eat a whole plate full.”

Before I say anything, the microwave goes off and he finishes putting them together. I take the movie and put it in the DVD player while I sit on the couch and wait for the Chef; and then realization hits me like a train.

There is no way I can eat one of these. I don’t know what I’m going to do. Fake stomach pains? Say I’m not hungry? Just not have one and see if he notices?

“I know that look Elli.”
        Startled, I look up to see him watching me. “What look?”

“You’re thinking hard about something. What is it? And the truth.”

He comes and sits next to me, putting the plate of carbs down and his arm around my shoulders. He stares down at me and waits for my answer, and I try to think of what I’m going to say.

“Can I pass on the S’mores? I’m not really hungry.”

He lifts one eyebrow and says “Are you sure that’s why you don’t want one?”

“No.”

“That’s more like it. Tell me what’s really wrong.”

This is not going to end well for me. He’s going to think I’m insane. Maybe I am, but that still doesn’t change the way I feel.

“Elli, you can trust me. I want to know what’s going on.”

“I ate well today. I don’t want to ruin it…”

“You have to allow yourself a cheat once in a while. One s’more isn’t going to change how hard you’ve worked.”

“But I’m afraid I won’t just be able to have one. I know. You must think I’m crazy.”

“You’re right I do think you’re crazy. But not in the way you think.” He smirks at me and pulls me even closer to his side. I just feel safe next to him. Like somebody actually cares.

“I think you’re crazy for not seeing how beautiful you truly are. I may not know exactly what’s going through your mind right now, but from what you’re telling me, you think that having something that isn’t healthy, is going to set you back. Am I right?”

“Something like that.”

“Tell you what, even though you could eat this whole plate and I’d have nothing wrong with that, I get how determined you are to stick to your diet. So how about this, you have one s’more with me, and I’ll throw the rest away. That way, neither one of us will feel like we need to extend our workouts tomorrow, but we still get to enjoy one of the g
reatest desserts ever invented. Deal?”

I look down at the plate and nod my head. This might be able to work, but at the same time my heart is hammering inside my chest and I don’t see any good coming from this.

“Ok then! Time for Adam Sandler!”

He leans over to grab the remote, presses play, and hands me a s’more. As he eats his, I mindlessly chew on mine while trying to pay attention to the movie. When I finish, I look at the plate on the coffee table and am tempted to reach for another one. When was the last time I had dessert that wasn’t an Italian Ice? I mean, I’ve worked really hard and one night won’t be so bad, right? I could have another one. I just won’t eat that much tomorrow.

“Dylan?”

“Yea?”

“Can you get rid of the rest before I make a very bad decision?”

“I told you. I make the best s’mores.”

“Because there’s such an art to putting chocolate and marshmallows on a graham cracker?”

“Hey! They’re made with love, so there’s a lot more to it!”