Chapter Text
It’s a little after 4 on a late Thursday afternoon when Ellie begins to pack up her chromebook. Closing the small electronic device, she fills out a sheet with her hours and drops it off at the inbox in the writing center. With her backpack over her right shoulder, Elli throws a wave goodbye as she exits the building. The crunch of the leaves below her feet echo down the hallway as she stops at her bike. Unclasping the lock, Ellie climbs on and starts down the paved sidewalk that leads off campus. 23 minutes later, Ellie makes a stop at the only Asian market close to town, a broken down building lined with old newspaper ads and yellowing fluorescent lights that illuminate the store. Leaning her bike by the front entrance, she drops her backpack near the front door, and passes through the metal divider and walks into the store. Going straight to the refrigerated section, Ellie grabs 4 5-packs of yakult and heads to the que. After handing the cashier exact change, Ellie takes the plastic bag of supplies and stuffs it in her backpack.
It’s another 15 minutes through the idealistic suburbia when she bikes past the trees that line the street and pulls up and stops at an older beige building with an ugly brown molding that surrounds it. Cutting past the mini garage that sits to the left of the building, Ellie takes her bike up the stairs and stops by the mailbox before heading up the stairs. She’s biting down her mail as she fishes out a pair of keys from her front pocket. Just as she pulls her keys out, an unseen hand pops up and tugs on the mail that’s in her mouth. Dropping her mouth open, Ellie turns to her right and throws a glare at the girl.
“You can’t just do shit like that,” Ellie lectures her neighbor, Janine, as she walks toward the kitchen and starts pulling out her yakult.
“I’m just being a good neighbor and helping out,” Janine states as she puts the mail on the tiled countertop. “Haven’t you ever heard of being chivalrous?”
“Don’t talk to me about chivalry. I’m the one who had to hold your hair the other night when you had too many midori sours,” Ellie says as she picks up through the mail at the county. Pausing on a small white envelope that had made it all the way from Portland, Ellie looks up at her neighbor questioningly. “So, what can I do for you?”
“Be my wingman? Tonight? Coffeeshop? Ok, maybe not wingman per se... but there’s this girl that works at “the Coffee shop” and last time I was there, she complimented my Tegan & Sara tattoo so can you go be my emotional support friend?”
“Okay, first of all, who names a coffee shop “the Coffee Shop?” Second, don’t you think she’d like, freak out and think that we were dating if you brought me there? And lastly, if she’s complimenting your tattoo, you’re very specific tattoo then she’s probably gay and therefore you don’t need me there,” Ellie says as she pushes Janine out the door, still holding the slightly battered letter in her hand. “Anyways, I’m busy tonight and have things to do, good luck with her dude,” Ellie finishes off as she closes the door.
Opening a yakult and taking it with her to the living room, she sits down on the old, beaten up brown corduroy couch that sits directly in front of her bed. Ellie places the letter down next to her and pulls out her phone. Opening up the text, Ellie takes a picture of the letter and sends it to Paul. Puckering her lips, she puts her head back and taps against the letter as she waits for a reply. While waiting for a reply, Ellie picks up the yakult and starts drinking it while waiting for a reply. It’s a few minutes later and her eyes open as soon as her phone vibrates. Opening her phone, she clicks on the messaging app.
Paul: Well, what does it say?
3:47 pm
Tapping quickly against the phone, she chews a bit on her bottom lip while looking at the letter. Pulling out her keys, she delicately opens the envelope with great care. Gently opening the folded, pages Ellie delicately feels the pen marks that have been imprinted on the paper. Ellie goes from chewing on her lip to popping it when she finally places it on her lap. Straightening the letter, she irons it gently and attempts to remove the crease that’s been folded into the corner. Keeping her eyes focused on the upper left hand corner she doesn’t dare peak down to the actual words written below. It’s when she feels her phone vibrate next to her that she takes her eyes off the paper.
Paul:
Dude. Stop freaking out and just pull off the bandaid. Stop being a wussy.
3:51 pm
Ellie: I’m not being a wussy, wussy.
3:51 pm
Rolling her eyes, Ellie looks down at the letter. The first page is nearly blank, the words “Find something to believe in Iowa yet, heathen?” with the name aster printed just below. Smiling at the simple words, Ellie turns the paper around, double checking to make sure she hadn’t missed anything. Placing the first page next to her phone, she looks down on the second page, still sitting on her lap. There on the second page is a detailed drawing of the station booth, with the door open. It’s a simple drawing, a little doodle drawn all in blue pen. She brings the page closer to her face, scrutinizing each stroke, each imprint from the page, each little ridge that makes up the station booth. Standing up with the drawing in her hand, Ellie walks past the couch toward the makeshift desk pushed against the wall. Scrounging through a few drawers, Ellie pulls out a red and yellow thumbtack and grabs the drawing. Placing the drawing against the corkboard, next to some sheet music, Ellie places a thumbtack at the bottom and top of the page.
A few steps from the corkboard and Ellie is back in the kitchen, grabbing another yakult. Pushing the seal down with her thumb, Ellie heads back to the couch and has a seat. Grabbing her phone, she cranes her neck around and looks back at the drawing posted on the corkboard. Turning back to her phone, she opens the messaging app and begins her reply.
Ellie: She... She sent me a letter asking how I’m doing
4:02 pm
Paul: That’s great! :D :D :D
4:02 pm
Lifting her phone, she turns and snaps a picture of the drawing and sends the image to Paul.
Ellie: She also sent me a picture
4:04 pm
Paul: What are you gonna do???
4:05 pm
Ellie: Write her back I guess.
4:05 pm
Grabbing a few loose sheets of paper from her backpack and a pencil, Ellie places it on the coffee table. Looking at the blank sheet, she turns back and looks at the letter. PIcking up the pen, she taps it away at the coffee table for the next few minutes. She’s only gotten as far as “Dear Aster” before she puts the letter back down and heads to the kitchen. Going through her freezer, Ellie pulls out some frozen dumplings, dumps them in a ziploc bag, and sets it in the microwave for 2 minutes. While the microwave counts down, Ellie looks down to the coffee table the next room over. Once the microwave dings, Ellie pulls out her food, grabs some chilli peppers, and heads back to the couch, bringing her chromebook back with her. Once Sabrina is playing on her laptop she begins digging in on the dumplings. Halfway into the film, with the volume on low and her dumplings long forgotten, she picks up the letter and begins scribbling away. With a few scratch marks throughout the letter, she folds it closed, seals it in an envelope and puts a stamp on it. Pausing the film, she picks up the empty plate, drops it in the sink, and heads down to the mailbox. Once she’s back in her studio, she continues watching the movie while she pulls up her phone.
Ellie: I wrote back. It’s sealed and already in the mailbox. Can’t go back for it even if I wanted to.
6:58 pm
Paul: Good. If ur gonna get anywhere w/ her, You gotta start talking.
7:03 pm
Ellie: Shut up. I know how to talk.
7:04 pm
Paul: With words, when she actually knows It’s from you. Not with your eyes.
7:05 pm
:P
7:05 pm
Turning back to her screen, she focuses on when Humphrey Bogart finally makes it on the boat with Audrey Hepburn. There’s a slightly upturned smile on Ellie’s lips once the credits are rolling. With the movie in the background. Ellie lays on the couch and opens the Ghost Messenger app. There’s a little red dot next to DiegaRivero’s name and Ellie tosses her phone back to the coffee table. Turning to face the couch, Ellie begins to dose off in a matter of minutes.