Ellie's Favourite

“If you had to pick your favourite Thompson,” Ellie's best friend, Jack, asked when he was supposed to be writing his essay, “who would it be?”

“You, silly,” she laughed. Jack was one of a large family; mostly brothers.

“Really?”

“Of course. Who else?” she could see him give her a funny look, but she ignored it.

“Okay...” he thought aloud, “if you had to put us in order of favourite...?”
“What are you on about?” she laughed again.

“Put us in order, favourite to least favourite.”

She shook her head, “I can't do that.”

“Why not?”

“Because I can't!”

“But I'm your favourite?”

“Yeah.”

“So it doesn't matter!”

“Get on with that,” she laughed again, shoving his essay into his face.

“Just tell me,” Jack persisted. “Or at least tell me who comes at the bottom of the list?”

Ellie shook her head, because she knew he wouldn't let this go. “Okay.”

Jack pushed all his things aside, and sat on the table in front of me. He placed his chin on his hands, and leaned intently into her, giving her all his attention.

“You're my favourite,” she said, “obviously.”

He nodded, urging her to continue.

“Next I'd have to say your Dad, because his fascination with weird stuff amuses me every time I'm at your house.”

Jack wrinkled his nose at this, because clearly, this wasn't the answer he was looking for.

“After him,” she said, “I'd have to pick Jenny, because she's strong, and God only knows how she puts up with the rest of you...” Jenny was the youngest of the family, and the only girl. Jack shook his head in disbelief.

“And next, it would be your Mum, for the same reasons.”

“Next?” he itched.

“Ben.”

“Why?”

“Because he's quiet, and funny, and he's often overlooked because of Taylor.”

“Since when do you like the quiet type?”

“Since now,” she blushed.

“Right...” he rolled his eyes, “And?”

“I admire Alex, so he's next.” Alex was the oldest, with a good job, and a beautiful wife. He was loving life, and that's all Ellie ever wanted to do.

Jack continued to shake his head. She knew what he was thinking, and she couldn't distract from that.

“If this goes where I think it's going, I know you're lying to me!” Jack accused.

“Where do you think it's going?”

“I think you're going to say that you prefer everyone to Taylor... or have you just forgotten about him?!”

“I don't like him! He's a bully, and I don't know why everyone loves him so much!”

“Because he's funny! He doesn't mean to hurt you.”

“But he does.”

“He hurts you?”

“Not physically...”

“What are you on about?”

“Like I said, Jack,” she became defensive now, “your brother is a bully.”

“So you prefer Ben to Taylor?”

“Yeah.”

“And that makes Taylor your least favourite Thompson?”

“Yeah.”

“What has he done to deserve that?!”

“Are you even listening to me?”

“I am listening – but how is he bullying you?”

“He picks up on each of my weaknesses, and then teases me about them! He takes joy in other peoples' suffering, and I for one can't handle it!”

“I'm sure he doesn't mean to upset you...”

“That's just the problem. He doesn't know he's doing it. He doesn't understand.”
“What if I told him?”

“Don't you dare!” she shouted at him. A moment of quiet passed. “Sorry,” she muttered, “I just don't want him to know about this. I feel bad enough as it is.”

Jack nodded and pulled her into a friendly hug.

*

Meanwhile, Taylor sat on the stairs, just one paper-thin wall away. A single tear ran down his cheek as he listened to her fearful, angry words. As Ben, his twin, looked down and whispered, “You can fix this Tay.”

Taylor shook his head to himself, and wondered how he could ever make it up to her, and how he could ever let it get this far.

*

Taylor's hands shook as he wrote his note. He didn't know if anything he could do would win her back, but he had to try, because she'd always meant the world to him. He folded the note in half, and half again, then with a small flower attached, pinned it to a tree. He smiled gently to himself as he hoped beyond hope that this would be enough.

“I need to show you something,” Jack dragged her across the courtyard.

“What?” Ellie laughed, as she tried to stay on her feet.

“Someone has something to say to you,” he pulled her along.

“I know you love me Jackie,” she teased, “but I just don't feel the same way.”

He laughed, but his cheeks turned a little red anyway, “It's not me.”

“What are you talking about?” she asked, loosing breath.

“You'll see.”

As they reached a lone tree near the lake by the large family's house, she saw that among the half-hearted spring they were having, was a rainbow of flowers, brightening up the whole area. There were colours in the petals she was sure she'd never seen before, and they spread so beautifully from the tree. She rushed to them, and stroked the course paper, as she admired the effort someone must have gone to, to fold all these delicate, multicoloured shapes.

Jack coughed to get her attention.

“Yeah?” she asked, with a huge smile.

He nodded towards the tree, where the note moved slightly in the breeze.

“What is it?” she asked, but Jack was walking away.

She unpinned and unfolded the note, slipping the tiny paper flower into her pocket. To her surprise, she didn't recognise the handwriting. It was messy, as though someone couldn't write as fast as they thought. It was written in blue ink, but had small red heart in the corner.

Confused and excited, she began to read;

This is a note to say I'm sorry. I know I've treated you badly, and I know I should have been a lot nicer to you. My problem is that I don't know how.

She looked around. There was no-one around.

I can tell you in this note, because I've had a lot of time to think it over. But as you can probably tell, once I started writing, it all flooded out.

She gave a short, nervous laugh.

That's what happens when you're truthful. There's nothing that can hold you back.

So, like I said, this is an apology for the way I've treated you in the past, and it's a promise that I will always be the best person I can be, from now on, for you.

She looked around again.

The truth is, I've only ever picked on you, because I thought you understood what I meant by it all.

Now she knew who it was, and although part of her was touched, another part was warning her – this could be another one of his tricks.

I act the way I do because I like you. I only tease the people I think have the strength of character to take it, and I'm sorry that I took it too far with you. I know you're a strong person, because you've stuck through it all this time, but I'm sorry that I didn't realise that it was so hard for you. I promise I'll never do it again.

At this point, she couldn't decide what to feel. Was this a new side to the Taylor she knew? Was it even his note? Where was he, and what did he have planned that would ruin it all?

I know I'm rambling, but I hope it shows how bad I feel for ever letting you think that there was anything but admiration for you. I just hope that you can forgive me, and I hope that you can give me another chance.

She thought about this for a while, standing there in silence. The early spring breeze made her shiver, but she just stared at the writing. Her eyes followed the creases that had been made where he'd folded it, and the smudge in the corner, where he'd obviously been too rushed to keep it neat.

I hope you can talk to me after this, because there's something very important I have to say. Something I could never tell you in writing. Something you have to know, or I don't think I could ever live with myself.

Please say you'll talk to me.

The note ended there. She stared around the grassy area, moving slowly around the tree, but there was still no-one there. The sky was growing darker, though it was just after midday. She felt the first drops of rain splatter softly onto her nose, and she panicked for the flowers. One by one, she grabbed the origami from the ground, pulling them from the soon-to-be-mud, with what seemed to be stretched out paper clips that had been holding them in place.

She shook my head in disbelief – what was she supposed to do now? She looked back to where Jack had gone, then down at the collection of paper flowers she'd gathered. She tried to walk back to Jack's house, but with each step, she lost another flower. She didn't know why they were so important, but they were. She took another look at the note, hoping that there would be an answer in the writing.  

Please say you'll talk to me.

“I'll talk to you,” she said aloud.

Suddenly, leaves started falling from the tree above her head, as Taylor rushed clumsily down towards her.

“Really?” he panted as he reached her. “You'll talk to me?”

“Of course,” she blushed, still somewhat confused, and frustrated, her arms still full of paper.

“Will you please forgive me? I know I've treated you horribly, but I need you to know how sorry I am.”

She raised the note for him to see, with a small smile on her face. “I know.”

“So?”
“Yeah.”
“Really?” he looked in disbelief.

“Yeah,” she managed to nod before she was scooped up into his warm embrace. As the rain began to fall more heavily, she felt warm in his arms.

“You're crushing the flowers,” she muttered against his chest. She didn't know why, but the mixed smells of the musky weather and Taylor made her weak at the knees.

“Don't worry,” he squeezed her, “there are plenty more where they came from.”

“What do you mean?”

“I'll make you one, everyday, first thing, if you'll let me?”

“Why wouldn't I?”

She felt a strange disappointment as he let her go, but he quickly grabbed both of her hands, scattering all the flowers, and looked longingly into her eyes. “There's something I have to tell you,” he repeated what he'd written.

She smiled, and looked back into his eyes – for the first time captured in the mischievous look he had there, rather than worried that he had something terrible planned. There was something in the way he smiled now, that told her that she didn't have to worry.

“Like I said in the note, I only tease people I think have the character to take it. I know I took it way too far with you, but I have to admit, I only did it because I thought your character was the strongest I'd ever met. There's something about the way you handle yourself – your smile and your eyes – that tell me that you're much more than any of the other girls I know. Now I know that no matter how strong someone is, what I do can be challenging, and to someone like you, I'm not worth the effort.”
She tried to stop him talking, but he wouldn't let her.

“I understand. I still want to take advantage of how amazing you are, but in a whole new way. Instead of using you for my jokes, I want to spend time with you, learn from you, and just be with this special person I've admired for so long. I'm sorry that I didn't know how to express this before, but it goes to show that you're completely new to me – you're more amazing, and beautiful, than anyone I've ever seen before, and I didn't know how to handle it.”

He paused, but she had nothing she could say.

“I overheard you talking to Jack the other day, and I'm more than willing to work my way back up the list. I get why I was your least favourite Thompson, but I hope that one day I'll be up there with Jack... If not at the top.”

They exchanged soft laughter as his cheeks grew redder, and the rain began to pour, slowly soaking them both.

“You're at the top of my list,” he whispered. “Of every list, Ellie. You're my favourite person ever, and from now on, it's my mission to make sure you know that.”

Tears ran down her face, luckily hidden in the rain. She'd never seen Taylor this way, but maybe some part of her always knew it was there. She'd always secretly liked the bad boy, but she liked this even more.

“It's a stupid time to tell you, because you're just getting to really know me, but I have to say it – I love you.”

As their hair dripped rain water into their eyes, and their clothes were soaked to their skin, her whole body shivered, as Taylor pressed himself against her, held her tight, and whispered it again, “I love you.”

He pressed his forehead to hers, and they smiled together. He cautiously moved his lips closer, before she closed the gap. She didn't if she loved him, but there was one thing she did know... if this was life with him, then it would be fun finding out!