Room 508, Thursday

[awesomebigsis]

Ellie had been missing classes lately. The reason? She had to go home a few times to take care of things at the house she was now responsible for. Problems kept arising at the worst times, it seemed. It was starting to become too much, and she was starting to fall behind. It was frustrating.

There was only one thing she could do about it. She was going home. Not just for a visit. She needed to be there instead of missing classes and paying for portals all the time. She was leaving anyway in a few months. A little earlier than planned wasn't so bad...

Except for the part where she had to break the news to someone very important to her. She called Chuck and then ordered Chinese food. Maybe extra sizzling shrimp would make it easier.


[for the little brother; also, this is sadly going to be Ellie's last post; it was not an easy decision, but something I needed to do; if you want to have gotten a goodbye message from her, you did]

Comments

[knowsnokungfu.livejournal.com]

Well, the promise of sizzling shrimp did make drawing him up here to see here very, very easy. If it would make the news any easier was debatable.

Barely any time at all after her message and he was knocking on her door and poking his head in. "Hey, you're actually here. It's a miracle."

[awesomebigsis.livejournal.com]

"I know, crazy, huh?" Ellie replied, smiling slightly. "It seems like I am always home lately. It seems like the house keeps breaking. Or at least the pipes."

[knowsnokungfu.livejournal.com]

"You'd figure lasting this long with no one there, they'd know how to look after themselves," Chuck joked, wandering into the room to drop down onto the end of her bed.

[awesomebigsis.livejournal.com]

"Who knew being the owner of a house was so much work," Ellie said with a nervous laugh. But after a moment, she was more serious. "Speaking of home, there is something I need to tell you."

She just needed a few moments to figure out how exactly to say it.

[knowsnokungfu.livejournal.com]

"Uh oh." Chuck propped himself back up on his elbows, paying a little more attention at the tone of her voice.

"You've gone all serious-- er." She hadn't been as cheerful as all that when he'd wandered in, now he thought about it. "Why are you all serious?" It couldn't just be the pipes, right?

[awesomebigsis.livejournal.com]

"Taking care of the house and all is a little harder than I thought," Ellie admitted. She looked down, continuing. "I think...maybe I need to be there. To take care of things better."

[knowsnokungfu.livejournal.com]

"... To be there," Chuck repeated, letting that sink in. "Like the there, there, not here at all sort of there?"

Did that make sense? Probably not entirely.

[awesomebigsis.livejournal.com]

"I can visit if you need me to. And I'll still be around. I mean, it won't be like I'm leaving forever." Like certain other family members. "I just...I can't take care of things there from here anymore."

She was suddenly feeling very guilty and wishing she had never signed those papers to keep the house.

[knowsnokungfu.livejournal.com]

"... I was kind of expecting to have a little more time to get used to that." Because, well, he knew she was graduating soon, and it was getting to that time, but-- Two or three months!

And then it was now.

"Wait. Do I? You're not packing and leaving right now? Are you?"

[I'mma be falling over asleep now! But SP is awesome, ofc.]]

[awesomebigsis.livejournal.com]

"Not right this second...but probably in the next few days. I would never just leave without giving you any notice," Ellie said sadly. "Please know this. I am not going away. I am still going to be here for you. I'm not just disappearing. It is not going to be like Mom and Dad. I promise you that."

She had to say that last part out loud so he truly understood she wasn't just walking out on her family.

[knowsnokungfu.livejournal.com]

Chuck breathed a slightly nervous laugh. "You'd better not." That was a horrible thought, and his mind had briefly flitted there, as much as he trusted her. "I'd come and hunt you down, you know that, right?"

[awesomebigsis.livejournal.com]

Ellie's smile was now one of relied more than sadness. "I have no doubt about that. So we can just avoid that. You know you can call me anytime and I'll listen."

She laughed slightly, adding, "And you know I'll be back to nag you during the next Parents Weekend in the fall."

[knowsnokungfu.livejournal.com]

"You might regret saying that, what with me calling you constantly for advice."

... He was only half kidding. She'd be hearing from him a lot.

"And my regular doses of nagging. Cause I don't think I can live without those."

[awesomebigsis.livejournal.com]

"I mean it, Chuck. You can call anytime," Ellie told him. "For nagging, for advice, for whatever."

Just then, there was a slow knocking on the door, indicating the food had arrived. Once she paid for it, Ellie set it down on her desk, preparing some plates.

"This is another Bartowski tradition that won't ever change," she said, handing him a container of sizzling shrimp.