It's Not You, It's Me (Guy)

[Elisia Lark]

Rumors were rumors. She always tried to ignore them, and most of the time she did. But this rumor was tied to someone she really liked and who she thought liked her. That was until she heard he was whoring around with Penelope Lopez. He was no different than all the other jocks and this was just proof. All of his friends were talking about how awesome the party had been and how she and Guy went outside to 'talk'. Really? Outside? Elisia couldn't believe that the one person she really connected with over everything was no different than any of the jerks that treated her like nothing.

He kept calling and every time she ignored it. She couldn't talk to him, she couldn't hear the excuses or lies. She couldn't handle it because she liked him and was still gripping to the times she spent with him when she thought he was like her. Adrianna was always there when he did call and even she was frustrated with him. At least, Ellie thought it was him that she was frustrated with. She couldn't really tell, she just knew Adrian wasn't thrilled about the situation any more than she was.

It had been about a week since she found out and even longer since she had seen him. Call it withdrawal, but she couldn't take it any longer. She finally sucked it up and decided it was best to confront him instead of avoiding him forever. She really did hope that somehow things could get mended between them because he got her. So after dressing very nicely (due to Adrian telling her that it was best to show him what he was missing out on), she stepped up to the dorm room door and knocked on it, keeping her head held high. Ellie waited patiently for someone to open up.

[Guy Roeby]

Guy was clueless about the rumors that went around Hammel. He wasn’t interested in knowing about them, they weren’t true and were therefore a waste of his time. He had better things to do, like be with his friends or practice football or dancing. Or, trying to get another date with Ellie, who hadn’t been answering his calls.

“Did I do something wrong?” He had asked Adrianna yesterday. The girl only rolled his eyes, muttering something about how guys could be so oblivious and didn’t pay attention. He went back to his dorm a little confused. Was this about her dress? They had replaced it, was she still made about it?

Today was a new day, and Guy glanced at his phone forlornly. No missed calls, no messages, no texts. It was probably him, he always managed to freak girls out. He dragged his hands down his face, letting out a frustrated sigh. And he really liked her too. What the hell was going on?

There was a knock on the door and Guy went to answer. “Ellie,” he said in relief, “I’ve been trying... You look nice.” He cleared his throat, getting back to the matter at hand. “You didn’t answer my calls. Did I do something wrong?” There was no point in hiding his desperation.

[Elisia Lark]

It was nice having her best girl friend there to keep her from completely falling apart. It was also nice seeing Adrian so much better and so much like her old self. The older girl was living with Ellie and her fathers until her classes started and she was going out, meeting new people and apparently walking some random guy’s dog. She was doing well though and in turn Ellie’s stress level went down. Until the rumors started.

Guy answered the door and she stood there with her arms folded across her chest. He sounded relieved, which only irritated her because it was his fault all of this was happening anyway. If he hadn’t gone off with that girl, she wouldn’t have ignored him and maybe they would have had a date sooner. Tim and Patrick had told her that boys did dumb things when they liked a girl, which was why they went for boys. Confusing to say the least, but she agreed with the dumb part.

“Did you do something wrong? Really?” She asked in disbelief. This was why she couldn’t talk to him. Acting like he didn’t know anything about what happened. Ellie pushed back tears and shook her head, “Nope, you didn’t. But I did. Tell me, was it my flirting that freaked you out? Or am I just not easy enough for you?”

[Guy Roeby]

Guy was planning on going home for a bit at the beginning of August, and he had hoped he would get the chance to tell Ellie. Maybe she would still want to go with him, but seeing as she wasn't picking up the phone, maybe she didn't want to anymore. In either case, he had a lot of travel plans in the near future. Otherwise, he'd be spending his time in dorm the remainder of the summer.

His face fell. Maybe Adrianna was right, maybe he was clueless. "Don't cry Ellie. I'm sorry." He wasn't sure what he did, but he was a sucker for her. "Uh, wait, what? Easy enough?" He sighed, wanting nothing more than to bang his head against the wall. "What happened Ellie?"

[Elisia Lark]

Elisia was still so crazy into him and that was what frustrated her so much. After he clearly showed he wasn't interested, why did she still have to be? Why couldn't she go out and find someone to hang out with that would show him she wasn't interested? No, she wasn't that type of girl, but she hated that she wasn't doing anything to show him that he couldn't mess with her like that.

Tears started falling down her cheeks and she wiped at them frantically, wishing she could just stop being a baby. "Why are you apologizing if you don't know what happened? Pick one or the other, either you're clueless or you know exactly what I'm talking about." She squeezed her torso when she felt the aching in her chest and she looked down.

"You know what happened better than I do. But here's a refresher, you and Penelope at that stupid party!" Ellie yelled, looking up at him. She couldn't believe he was acting innocent right now.

[Guy Roeby]

Guy thought about Ellie all the time, and he couldn't for the life of him figure out what he had done wrong. The first time he hadn't called her right away was because he had been nervous, but now he hadn't stopped calling.

Pain struck his face as he watched her cry. "I'm sorry because I hate seeing you hurt," he said, wanting to reach out to her but knowing that she would push him away. "I really don't know why you're crying, I don't know what's going on and I'm sorry." If it wasn't obvious yet, he would do anything for her.

And then he couldn't help but laugh. "Me and Penny? All we did was go outside to talk..." And as soon as he said it, he knew there had been rumors going around. Guy sighed, his face sobering. "Ellie, I don't know what yo heard, but nothing happened between us. I'm not even her type, apparently she's not into guys that fall in love..." He was just making a bigger mess for himself wasn't he?

[Elisia Lark]

Ellie wouldn’t have pushed him away, she would have crumpled into him, either way it was best that he didn’t reach for her. She couldn’t handle it much longer, she had never been hurt by a boy before, she’d only ever seen Adrian cry over a boy. Now she understood why she cried so much and how she felt. It hurt. A lot.

She wanted him to stop saying sorry because she didn’t, couldn’t, believe him. When things like this happened the boy wasn’t sorry. She’d seen so many movies and when it happened, the girl found the boy she was meant to be with. Wasn’t that how it worked? “Stop saying that.”

Guy laughed and she looked at him in shock, “You think it’s funny?” She wanted to run, go back to her room and call one of her ‘big brother’ types because only they would be able to help make her feel better. She couldn’t go to Adrian without making the older girl more upset and that was the last thing she needed. “Not her type? You’re a boy, she’s a girl. That’s the only thing that matters!” She completely tuned out the falling in love part (of course).

[Guy Roeby]

"Okay," Guy said, looking down and feeling terrible. He wasn't in the wrong, and yet it felt like he was. Most people said he was a doormat, he didn't get mad very often and was loyal to the people he cared about. He just wanted to please her...

Guy shrugged. "It's funny because that would never happen, I don't like her." Plain and simple. Besides, he wasn't dating her, he was dating Ellie. Well, at least he thought he was. He was surprised by her for making such a big deal about a rumor and not coming to ask him at all. He frowned. "The only thing that matters?" He shook his head. "I don't like her Ellie, I like you." He stepped through the threshold and gripped her arms. "And I was texting you that entire night."

[Elisia Lark]

Ellie rolled her eyes, "Right. C'mon Guy, everybody likes her. She's fun personified and everyone likes being around her. Every boy wants her, why would you be any different?" She knew this was stupid, she was basing everything on what she had heard. It wasn't like she had seen anything and her judgment was only clouded because she felt so insignificant compared to a girl like Penelope.

It was what she had gone to Callie for and yet she still felt like nothing.

He shook his head at her and she just looked up at him. Tears were still falling from her cheeks, slowly and she sniffled a bit. His words made her heart squeeze and she knew he wasn't lying, but this whole thing was just one big mess. "But why?" She asked in response to him saying he liked her. It didn't make any sense. He gripped her arms and she relaxed slightly due to the comforting feeling of his touch. She missed him. "Y-you were?"

[Guy Roeby]

It was Guy's turn to roll his eyes. "If you think taking body shots off of her is fine, then yeah." But Guy's expression of disgust gave away his sarcasm. Penny was pretty, but that wasn't what Guy found attractive in a woman. Ellie was attractive. She was beautiful inside and out, she was a chase. Penny, Penny was everyone's girl. He wanted a girl for himself. Call him selfish, but that's just how it was for him.

"You think I'm just like every other guy at those parties? Why don't you come with me to one next time?" Yeah, then she would see what a big loser he really was, great idea Guy. Idiot! He sighed, touching the tips of her hair with his fingertips.

"Because you're you. You make me feel okay about being myself. You're fun and pretty and smart, and I can't stop thinking about you..." And all he wanted to do was kiss her, make her feel as special as he knew she was.

[Elisia Lark]

Okay now it was pretty clear to see that she was majorly stupid for having said anything and believing the idiotic gossip. She just figured that when it came from his teammates, his friends, that it was accurate. And with a girl like Penelope, who knew? She’d never met the other girl, and she was pretty sure she didn’t want to. She’d heard of some of the mean things she says to people and Ellie was the ultimate doormat, especially when it came to girls like that.

“N-no, I don’t think you’re like that…I just I don’t know okay?” Her lower lip trembled. She felt so stupid for all of this now. For doubting him when she knew he was different. She wished she could take it all back, then she wouldn’t have had to take so long to see him.

Elisia took his hands and laced their fingers together as he spoke. How could she have doubted such a great person? She could feel the butterflies in her stomach and the tears started drying on her face. He was so perfect. With her cheeks burning, Ellie looked up at him, her face extremely close to his, “I haven’t stopped thinking about you either…” She said softly, wishing that she could kiss him, but she was still so worried about scaring him away. Even after everything he said.

[Guy Roeby]

Guy liked Penny, that wasn't the issue here. In fact, he was hard pressed to not like anyone. He didn't like the way Penny treated everyone, didn't like the way she treated herself, but he took it as a grain of salt and treated her kindly, like he did everyone else. He didn't think she started the rumor, and he wasn't going to confront her about it. Rumors were meant to be put into the past.

He pursed his lips together before letting out a sigh. "I'm on the football team, right?" Obviously, she knew that. "So I go to parties and stuff with everyone else, for fun. But not that kind of fun you know?" He smiled slightly. It wasn't her fault for thinking that maybe it was true, but if she was so hurt by this, then... She had to like him. She had to.

Her words made him smile, and he tightened his grip on her fingers. "You too." Wait, didn't he say that already? Oh well, he was too preoccupied with the look she was giving him, the feel of her hands on his. His jaw clenched together. "Do you, uh..." He glanced down at her, wondering if it just looked like she was begging him to kiss her, or if she meant it. He gulped. And he leaned forward slightly, their lips just barely brushing in their first kiss.

[Elisia Lark]

Who was she to judge someone she didn't know? Elisia wasn't that person and she really tried to be nice to everyone and give them a fair shot. She just didn't like people that were cruel and 'brutally honest' as they put it. Honesty was one thing, but Ellie didn't see a point in putting it so harshly that it hurt the person more than it would have if it was put in a more considerate way. From what she heard, Penelope didn't think of being considerate when she was being honest.

Ellie nodded, "Right, but you're a boy and I've always been told that boys think with that one part." Gosh that was awkward. Mostly by her mother was she talked to about boys which was probably the worst thing seeing as how she hated all men thanks to her father's realization of his sexuality. She just figured all men were pigs, or gay. "I guess I was led to believe that given the opportunity, every male would take it."

His repeat went right over her head as he squeezed her fingers. It was times like this that she wished she could know what he was thinking or that he could see what she was. Only a few more centimeters, couldn't he just kiss her! He started to say something, but she was barely paying attention because that was when he got closer and leaned in just enough to brush his lips against hers. It wasn't much, but she would take it.

Ellie stood on her tip-toes, just to put a little more pressure into it, without totally creeping him out.

[Guy Roeby]

Guy tried holding back a laugh and ended up making a strained spitting noise instead. "Okay, I'm just gonna say it. I'm a virgin, I don't just think with... that part." Oh how he was blushing. "I think with this," he pointed at his head. "And this," he added, putting a solid fist to his heart. He smiled slightly and shook his head. "Not that I'm not, uh, attracted to females..." Oh Lord Jesus, she didn't need to know about the occasional fire in his pants.

For once Guy had just gone for it. It was something he normally did in football, and dance, but not in relationships, not with people he really liked. He didn't just take chances. He was going to ask for her permission first, but her body language had been pretty clear to him, and he didn't believe she was a tease.

The kiss was nice. He gripped her hands fiercely, feeling like if he didn't hold on he might float away on cloud nine. Guy pulled away from her with a huge smile on his face, then let out a laugh that said 'I can't believe that just happened'. "I guess uh, I guess it's okay to invite you to come with me to Vegas some time? Visit me and my mom?"

[Elisia Lark]

Ellie frowned when he laughed because she honestly wasn’t too sure about this sort of thing. She didn’t know about boys because Robbie and Carter never really got into it with her. Not that she ever asked or showed much interest in the topic until recently, but it was so difficult for her. And his admittance made her eyes widen, even if her mind was dancing. A boy like him, a virgin? Almost too good to be true. “Well I sure hope you’re attracted to females,” Or she was completely wasting her time on him.

Unfortunately her bliss only lasted a few moments before he pulled away, but she tried to keep the disappointment off her face. She’d only been waiting to do that since their date. Elisia kept his fingers laced with hers though, refusing to let him pull away too much.

She still couldn’t believe that it had happened herself, but was glad that it did. When he started talking, she looked up at him, rocking back on her heels. “I’d really like to, but only if you’d come with me to New York. My fathers have a little apartment complex that they rent up there for whenever we want to visit our home state.” Ellie realized she was talking a little too much and stopped, pressing her lips together.