Free Blue Violet by Abigail Owen

about how Ellie would probably be flattered
by the attention. And most important of all, he tried not to think about the
vaguely irritated feeling that came over him when Lila told Ellie she was being
admired from afar. That feeling hadn’t gone away, and if anything, was growing
stronger as he watched Ellie let out a small giggle and the other boy lean
closer. Alex gritted his teeth. What could he do? He’d tried his best to keep
his relationship with Ellie as casual as possible. Had even stopped texting her
and tried to treat her like a little sister when they were on their runs. But
that didn’t diminish his growing feelings toward her. Feelings he could never
act on, no matter how strong they were becoming.
    Alex shook his
head and turned his attention back to his siblings, and caught Adelaide’s
amused expression. He sighed.
    “Ok, Delia,
what do you see?”
    Her eyebrows shot
up. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Alex,” she replied, pursing her
lips.
    Shrugging,
Alex let it go. She’d tell him when she wanted to, if she wanted to.
     
    *****
     
    While Ellie
and Brian were talking about the movie on Friday, an idea popped into her head.
She didn’t date boys in high school, but she supposed being friends with
them was alright. She tapped into Griffin’s power and checked through Brian’s
thoughts a little more in depth. As far as she could tell, he wasn’t actually
attached to the idea of dating her. She just happened to be the new girl in his
group. Someone he had yet to date. And someone who hadn’t shown much interest
which, of course, made him all the more interested. So if she encouraged
friendship, and remained clear about that distinction, she wouldn’t hurt him.
And she needed a distraction from Alex. He seemed to be occupying way too much
of her brain space these days. Too much for her comfort.
    “If you’re
here alone, why don’t you join us?” she said to Brian. She waved her hand in
the general direction of the group.
    Brian looked
pleased and glanced at his watch. “I have to leave in about thirty minutes,” he
said. “But I could hang out ‘til then.”  He stood up, collected his gear, and
followed her across the room.
    When they
approached the table, Ellie explained to her friends, “I invited Brian to join
us while he’s here.”
    “Hey,
Reynolds!” Nate greeted Brian with a high-five. Nate played tight-end on the
school football team, while Brian was the quarterback and team captain. The two
boys were understandably friendly even though it was off-season.
    “Brian, this
is our brother, Alex,” Lila said. The two boys shook hands with a nod. Brian
pulled out a chair and got settled.
    “I’d better
get to work,” Alex announced. With a casual salute, he left the rest of them to
their studies.
    After a little
while, when Brian and Nate seemed to run out of conversation about basketball,
Ellie nonchalantly asked, “So what movie are we going to see Friday, Brian?”
Looking at the others at the table she kept her expression carefully innocent
as she added, “Are you guys going, too?”
    Lila glanced
at Brian. “Is a group going to see a movie?”
    Listening to
Brian’s thoughts, Ellie almost laughed out loud as he mentally gave up on
having a date with her. He just barely stopped himself from answering with a sigh.
“Yeah,” he said. Ellie had to give him some credit, he bounced back quickly.
“I’m getting a group together to go on Friday. You guys in?”
    “What’s the
movie?” Nate asked. “I’m not going to see some lame chick flick.”  He scrunched
up his face comically, eliciting a laugh from the others. Adelaide bopped him
in the arm.
    Brian named a
movie that was definitely a guy’s guy type movie. All action, lots of blood
probably, short on plot, but very entertaining.
    Nate punched a
fist in the air. “Yeah, man!” he exclaimed. “I’m in.”
    Adelaide and Lila
rolled their eyes in unison. “Not really my type of movie,” Lila