Eric was 12 going on 13.
Ellie was 11 going on 12.
They first met in Ellie's parlor on a misty Monday morning in April.
The social workers and Ellie's parents told them that they would be siblings: brother and sister. Eric fell in love with Ellie at first sight. Ellie did not.
Ellie looked at this slight boy with tassel brown hair, somber expression, sad brown eyes, brown clothes, thin hands. She did not like they way he was looking at her, she did not like his brown, drab clothing.
Being children, neither of them could put into words, the idea that would lie- in wait- in the sub-consciences for years; that they were being forced into a relationship role neither of them would want. The adults had decided their fate without understanding what it would do to them later in life. The grief and stress that it would cause. All they understood right now was that Eric was infatuated with Ellie while she despised him without any clue as to why.
"This is your brother, Ellie," her father said to her.
So is this what a brother was? Ellie thought, she felt like she had missed something vital in her Nancy Drew book reading. She was fairly certain that one did not acquire siblings like this.
"Take him back, I don't want a brother," she mumbled looking down at her shoes, they were black is red buckles. She liked the red buckles. "I want to have a puppy instead."
Most likely, her father did not hear her. Most likely no one heard her. No one (the adults anyway) responded as if she had said anything. When Ellie looked up, the adults had left the parlor and she was alone with the strange boy. She looked to the door, her mind on escape, but it was closed.
Eric gazed at this girl, her bangs hanging in her eyes. He felt love, he thought it was love, it must be but since he had no basis other than what he had learned from TV, he decided that must be what it should be. He struggled through the muddle of his mind to find something that would tell him what to do. Then, the thought struck him, he should hit her like the Alfalfa from the little rascals must have done- or did he just kiss Darla. he couldn't remember.
Well, he had to do something.
The boy walked towards her until they were face to face.
"I like you." He said and blushed.
"Uh," Ellie replied.
The boy leaned forward pushing his face into hers, their forehead bumped, embarrassment and pain shot through her head as Ellie stumbled back and fell.
Crash.
Ellie lay on the carpet stunned.
The boy leaned over her.
"Are you okay?" he squeaked.
Eric knew that he hadn't paid enough attention to that movie. He looked down at the girl lying on the carpet and rubbed his forehead which didn't hurt as much as he thought it would. He had tried to kiss her but smacked his forehead into hers instead. She had stumbled backward then fallen and he hadn't even tried to catch her. For a time, he just stood there looking down at her. Her dress had ridden up her stockings and he could almost see her crotch.
Her skirt was up to her knees, she could feel the cool air on her thighs. Ellie had a rush of white-hot anger at the idiot boy, he had attacked her and now was leering down at her. Was this what having a brother supposed to be like. She sat up to glare at him and noticed her skirt was hiked up and the boy was staring at her private place. She rolled over to her knees, pulling her skirts down as she did so, she clambered up to her feet, her head throbbing, and turned to face him.
Eric felt a stab of fear as the anger in her face registered in his mind. She would probably cry, that was what girls did- right? He should put his arm around her to give her a shoulder to cry on. Yes, that would be best, since the kiss maneuver had failed. He stepped forward raising his arm.
The boy lunged forward bringing his arm up. Ellie's eyes went wide. Unbelievable, she thought and then punched Eric in the stomach as hard as she could. This wasn't very hard, but Eric wasn't made of stern stuff, so he doubled over in shock and pain.
Eric gasped for breath, she hit hard for a girl. He looked up where she was looking at him, her fists up ready to fight. He sat down on the floor. After a moment, he tried to speak but no words came out.
Ellie glared down at her attacker. She'd hurt him.
I can't have a puppy. I am a bad girl, no one will give me a puppy.
"I," Eric said, "I was just trying to kiss you." There he had declared his love for her.
Ellie felt ill. The boy just wanted to kiss her. She had punched him for trying to kiss her. Had she a larger vocabulary she would have found the words to express how she felt about this latest bit of information. Instead, she opened her mouth to say "I'm sorry," but nothing came out. She burst into tears instead because now she was sure no one was going to give her a puppy. She cried and cried and nothing could stop the tears from streaming down her face. her whole face hurt.
Eric looked up at this girl, sobbing like there was no tomorrow. He got back up and hugged her as she sobbed into his shirt. I don't understand girls, he thought as he led her to the sofa. They sat there as she cried, the sobs just coming and coming until she cried herself out. She looked completely miserable, but she leaned against him, so it couldn't be that bad.
"My name is Eric."
"Ellie," she began to weep softly as looked down at her empty hands where no puppy would ever be held.
Ellie was 11 going on 12.
They first met in Ellie's parlor on a misty Monday morning in April.
The social workers and Ellie's parents told them that they would be siblings: brother and sister. Eric fell in love with Ellie at first sight. Ellie did not.
Ellie looked at this slight boy with tassel brown hair, somber expression, sad brown eyes, brown clothes, thin hands. She did not like they way he was looking at her, she did not like his brown, drab clothing.
Being children, neither of them could put into words, the idea that would lie- in wait- in the sub-consciences for years; that they were being forced into a relationship role neither of them would want. The adults had decided their fate without understanding what it would do to them later in life. The grief and stress that it would cause. All they understood right now was that Eric was infatuated with Ellie while she despised him without any clue as to why.
"This is your brother, Ellie," her father said to her.
So is this what a brother was? Ellie thought, she felt like she had missed something vital in her Nancy Drew book reading. She was fairly certain that one did not acquire siblings like this.
"Take him back, I don't want a brother," she mumbled looking down at her shoes, they were black is red buckles. She liked the red buckles. "I want to have a puppy instead."
Most likely, her father did not hear her. Most likely no one heard her. No one (the adults anyway) responded as if she had said anything. When Ellie looked up, the adults had left the parlor and she was alone with the strange boy. She looked to the door, her mind on escape, but it was closed.
Eric gazed at this girl, her bangs hanging in her eyes. He felt love, he thought it was love, it must be but since he had no basis other than what he had learned from TV, he decided that must be what it should be. He struggled through the muddle of his mind to find something that would tell him what to do. Then, the thought struck him, he should hit her like the Alfalfa from the little rascals must have done- or did he just kiss Darla. he couldn't remember.
Well, he had to do something.
The boy walked towards her until they were face to face.
"I like you." He said and blushed.
"Uh," Ellie replied.
The boy leaned forward pushing his face into hers, their forehead bumped, embarrassment and pain shot through her head as Ellie stumbled back and fell.
Crash.
Ellie lay on the carpet stunned.
The boy leaned over her.
"Are you okay?" he squeaked.
Eric knew that he hadn't paid enough attention to that movie. He looked down at the girl lying on the carpet and rubbed his forehead which didn't hurt as much as he thought it would. He had tried to kiss her but smacked his forehead into hers instead. She had stumbled backward then fallen and he hadn't even tried to catch her. For a time, he just stood there looking down at her. Her dress had ridden up her stockings and he could almost see her crotch.
Her skirt was up to her knees, she could feel the cool air on her thighs. Ellie had a rush of white-hot anger at the idiot boy, he had attacked her and now was leering down at her. Was this what having a brother supposed to be like. She sat up to glare at him and noticed her skirt was hiked up and the boy was staring at her private place. She rolled over to her knees, pulling her skirts down as she did so, she clambered up to her feet, her head throbbing, and turned to face him.
Eric felt a stab of fear as the anger in her face registered in his mind. She would probably cry, that was what girls did- right? He should put his arm around her to give her a shoulder to cry on. Yes, that would be best, since the kiss maneuver had failed. He stepped forward raising his arm.
The boy lunged forward bringing his arm up. Ellie's eyes went wide. Unbelievable, she thought and then punched Eric in the stomach as hard as she could. This wasn't very hard, but Eric wasn't made of stern stuff, so he doubled over in shock and pain.
Eric gasped for breath, she hit hard for a girl. He looked up where she was looking at him, her fists up ready to fight. He sat down on the floor. After a moment, he tried to speak but no words came out.
Ellie glared down at her attacker. She'd hurt him.
I can't have a puppy. I am a bad girl, no one will give me a puppy.
"I," Eric said, "I was just trying to kiss you." There he had declared his love for her.
Ellie felt ill. The boy just wanted to kiss her. She had punched him for trying to kiss her. Had she a larger vocabulary she would have found the words to express how she felt about this latest bit of information. Instead, she opened her mouth to say "I'm sorry," but nothing came out. She burst into tears instead because now she was sure no one was going to give her a puppy. She cried and cried and nothing could stop the tears from streaming down her face. her whole face hurt.
Eric looked up at this girl, sobbing like there was no tomorrow. He got back up and hugged her as she sobbed into his shirt. I don't understand girls, he thought as he led her to the sofa. They sat there as she cried, the sobs just coming and coming until she cried herself out. She looked completely miserable, but she leaned against him, so it couldn't be that bad.
"My name is Eric."
"Ellie," she began to weep softly as looked down at her empty hands where no puppy would ever be held.
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