Page 16 of Rumor Has It

Ellie serves up two plates and slides onto the stool next to me. It’s not a fancy breakfast, but it smells so good. Scrambled eggs, bacon, and biscuits that look homemade are piled on my plate high enough it would have you believe I missed the last three meals. She always loads me up like this. Meanwhile, her plate boasts a very normal amount of food.

I dig in, determined to have a full belly this morning at the very least. But it’s somewhere around bite number ten that I realize I haven’t spent a Sunday morning of any kind with Ellie in a while. I don’t know what she does or any of her Sunday routines. Is it laundry day? House cleaning day? Sit and binge a show day?

“What’s the plan for today?” I ask, seeing no need to torture myself with guesses any further.

“I usually do some laundry, and I have papers to grade,” she says. “What about you? I know you usually sleep in much later.”

“This is true,” I say. “I could stand to do some laundry too, but there’s also a football game later I’d like to watch. I can go somewhere else to do that, though, if you want.”

“Don’t be silly. You can watch it here.”

“Are you sure?” I ask because she’s not particularly fond of football, or any sport for that matter.

“Yeah, of course,” she says. “Do you usually watch with Garrett? He can come over. I don’t mind.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I’ll check,” I say, surprised by the suggestion. It’s one thing to let me take over her living room to watch it but quite another to suggest that Garrett come over. He’s not exactly a quiet observer. In fact, his narration of the games can be downright annoying sometimes.

“Well, let me know and I’ll make snacks,” she says.

Game day snacks? What’s going on here? It all feels so… domestic.Shit, don’t be crazy.She’s just being nice because she’s having me stay here all week and help feed a rodent every couple of hours. Oh, and she needs me to chauffeur her at least until tomorrow. And did I mention I’m awake so early it’s insane? She’s definitely just being nice to make up for all these favors and inconveniences. I think.

* * *

Aside from having to tell Garrett to shut up about this rumor about me and Ellie like fifty times, my Sunday wasn’t so bad. After we finished eating, we took turns showering, then started laundry. We folded it with episodes ofUnsolved Mysteriesplaying in the background, occasionally interjecting some theories about whatever the current mystery was. Ellie took my car to the store to buy groceries, and I finally got around to answering this morning’s texts.

GARRETT

There’s something I need to tell you.

GARRETT

Actually never mind. Are we watching the game?

You sure? And yeah, come watch it at Ellie’s place.

Then, the next fire.

DAD

Call your sister when you can.

Everything ok?

DAD

Just call.

Then, the next one.

LINDY

Can we talk?

About what?

LINDY

Us.

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