The Change Part 1
She checked herself in the mirror one more time. Nodding her head at the choice of outfit. (Jeans, one of her long sleeve space shirts over a short sleeve grey button up and her converse). She had her hair up in a pony tail, some of her more stubborn short hair falling to the side of her face.
"Ellie! Come on kiddo you're going to be late!" With a nod she picked up her backpack, making sure her journal was in her bag before dashing out of her room and down the stairs stumbling down the last few steps.
"Easy kiddo. Are you re-Ellie aren't you forgetting something."
Ellie looked down patting her pockets. She had her wallet, her phone, also ear phones for the bus ride to the lab the class was going to.
"No?"
Joel shook his head with a smile and took something from behind him.
"Going to have to get you one of them straps for your glasses."
"Pfft I was going to get them before I left." The sixteen year old reached over and took the glasses putting them on her face.
"Alright kiddo lets go."
*
"Have fun!"
"Will do! Bye Joel!" Ellie picked up the pace when she saw the kids boarding the bus.
"Almost missed the bus Williams. Go on find a seat." The teacher said rounding the few kids left. Ellie climbed up the steps Looking around to find a empty seat. Since there was only a few kids there was available seats. She knew that most of the loud kids were going to be in the back so she chose a seat in front. But before she could take a seat. A hand took a hold of her wrist pulling her to the other side of the bus. She tried to balance her self from crashing into the person who oh so rudely pulled on her arm. But she failed, her sucky eyesight doing little job to help. But thankfully the person who pulled on her arm was able to catch her. Being able to steady the auburn haired girl.
"Easy there freckles."
"Jeez Dina. Pull my whole arm off while your at it."
Dina chuckled reaching up and fixing the glasses that were only hanging by the ears after Ellie sat next to her. Ellie's cheeks flushed at the warm hands that touched her cheeks at fixing the glasses.
"Th-Thanks." The auburn haired girl took her backpack off and set it on the floor.
"Okay so like on a scale of one to ten how excited are you." Dina teased she knew exactly how excited the green eyed girl was. She remembered perfectly the look of excitement that took over the taller girls face when the teacher announced the trip to the labs. She would never be able to forget that adorable look.
"A seven."
"Oh shut up more like a hundred, you nerd. Now tell me what part of the trip you're most excited about."
"The space section. Can you guess what the first animal to travel to space was?" Dina humored the girl. Not wanting to be the reason why the taller girl loses the excitement in her eyes.
"I'm gonna have to guess monkeys."
"Nope it was fruit flies. In 1947, it was to see radiation exposure at high altitudes. And they lived through it." Dina shook her head with a fond smile.
"You never fail to amaze me." Ellie's blush went up to the tip of her ears and Dina had to hold back on wanting to lean over and kiss the girl's cheek.
"Where's...where's Jesse? I thought you'd want to sit with him?" At the mention of her ex she sighed.
"We broke up Ellie."
"Oh I'm sorry. I'm sure you'll work something-No Ellie this time it's for real. We love each other just not in that way anymore. It's okay Ellie. I'm more than okay. Our relationship was dragging both of us down."
"Oh okay." Ellie offered a small smile which was returned.
"Now I brought my converter so we can listen to music together. It is a hour and half drive."
Ellie tried not to panic when Dina leaned her head on her shoulder. Basically cuddling up to her.
Don't ruin the friendship! Don't ruin the fucking friendship.
*
Ellie watched in amazement at the big room. It was filled with stars, a dark room filled with stars. She almost crashed into a few people more than once, cause she was too busy looking at the planets hanging on the ceiling, if it weren't for Dina she was sure she would have crashed into them. She drew some of the things she liked in her book, taking notes so she could show Joel later. She actually didn't want to leave this section at all. But they were headed to where they kept the spiders. So she figured that would be cool.
But not as cool as fucking space that's for sure.
Now that they weren't in the space section she noticed that Dina was not letting go of her hand. Making her face just a bit red. Actually a lot of red.
"Hey Dina come cheek this out." One of Dina's cheerleading teammates called out.
"You can go. I'll be checking out the spiders. I know you don't like them too much." Ellie spoke up when she saw that Dina looked hesitant to leave her side.
"Ugh fine. But I'll be right back okay."
Ellie nodded and walked towards the spiders. She leaned forward getting a better look at the spiders. She took out her journal looking down as she drew some of the spiders. As she was drawing she felt a sting on the back of her neck. Causing her to flench and let out little hiss as she slapped the back of her neck. Dropping her journal and pencil.
"Fuck." She looked down on the floor, seeing a red spider with a black dot crawling away under a table.
"Hey you okay?" A small hand was placed on her lower back. Another hand reaching up once again to fix the glasses. Clearly the new glasses Joel got her fit just a tad bit too big.
"Uh yea. Just a cramp."
"Figures. You've been drawing in your journal since we got here." Dina joked leaning down and picking up the book and pencil.
"Come on before they leave us behind."
*
Dina sat in the bus right next to the auburn haired girl, this time she was sat next to the aisle. Ellie was fast asleep on her shoulder. Dina couldn't help the smile that formed. She was so glad she took her camera. Capturing Ellie in the moment. How excited and nerdy she got when she saw something she liked. From the very start, when she first met Ellie at the age of nine. She knew it was more than friendship she wanted from the girl. She just didn't know that at the time. Now. Now she did know.
She wasn't one to hold back on what she wanted. She just had to be patient.
She looked back down at Ellie. Reaching forward and taking off the glasses that were crooked due to the position her head was in.
*
It wasn't long till they arrived to the school. School hours being long over. Dina shook Ellie awake as the bus came to a stop. A few cars parked up front. Parents there to pick up there kids. Dina could see Joel's pick up truck parked there as well along with her sisters car.
"Ellie. Ellie wake up."
"Mmh I'm so tired."
"I know babe, sooner you get off this bus, the sooner you get to Joel and the sooner you go home and sleep. Now come on."
Ellie didn't know why but she was so tired, sleepy, and not to mention hot. No like that, her temperature felt like it was going up.
"Okay."
"I'll see you tomorrow okay." Dina said once they both got off the bus.
"I'll see you tomorrow D."
*
"You sure you're alright kiddo. You don't look too well."
"Yes Joel I'm fine...just tired. I'm going to bed. Night."
"Night kiddo."
Ellie didn't have time to get out of her clothes before her legs gave from under her. Her body barely landing on the bed. The room was spinning. The small red light from the tv was spinning too much. She slammed her eyes shut. She tried to call out for Joel, even Sarah. But she couldn't.
Her world faded into black.
*
The bright light coming from her window woke her up. Her squinting at the bright light. She groaned as she got up. The feeling of being sick no longer in her system. She reached for her glasses as she sat up putting them on with her eyes closed as she yawned.
"What the fuck?" She took of her glasses when she saw how blurry her vision looked with them on. She looked at the letters on some of her posters that she was sure she couldn't see clearly before. But now saw perfect.
"That's weird." She stood up sitting her glasses down to the side of her bed. Making her way to the bathroom with some clothes. She shut the door behind her, her eyes widening when the door handle came right. "Oh shit. Guess it was loose." She shrugged and picked up her tooth brush and tooth paste. She didn't expect her tooth paste to go flying when she barely even squeezed. She looked at the mirror where it landed scooping it up with toothbrush. She turned on the faucet but the handle broke.
"Shit! Fuck!"
The water hitting her directly in the face. She scrambled for some towels and then bending down to turn the water off from under the sink.
"Ellie? You okay." Her sister, Sarah called out. She was just back from the university. Recently just graduated.
"Yea fucking faucet broke. Can you bring me the mop and the bucket please."
"Sure thing."
*
After cleaning up the bathroom and taking a shower. She looked into the mirror amazed. She just noticed what was under shirt. She sure as hell didn't take time out of her day to hit the gym. So how the hell did she get abs and biceps.
Wow I'm jacked as fuck.
What the hell is happening?
Her favorite shirt didn't even fit her anymore. It was too small. She took it off and put on one of her baggy shirts. Well they once were baggy now they just fit a little loose.
"Hey El."
At the sound of Ellie's older sister she looked and smiled. Sarah must have gotten home late last night.
They both shared a tight hug. Well kinda of. As soon as Ellie hugged her sister back some of her back muscles popped.
"Fuck Ellie, trying to break my back. I haven't seen you in months and this is how you treat me. Dude have you been hitting the gym."
"Sorry Sarah. Uh no I'm just-my backpack. My books. There a lot heavier this year." She fumbled over her words. Not knowing why she didn't just tell her sister the truth. She always told Sarah everything.
*
Ellie couldn't believe her eyes. Here she was in room hanging from the wall. Crawling on the fucking wall. She doesn't remember how it happened but one second she's leaning back on her chair and the next she was falling. But thing was she didn't fall. She embraced for the impact of the hard wood floor. But then she was basically hugging the wall.
"Ellie you alright? I heard a bang." Sarah shouted so she could be heard through the door.
"Yes! Uh I'm okay."
"Well alright. I was thinking maybe we could hang out later. Tell me on what I've missed."
"Of course Sarah I'll be out in a bit."
“Holy shit. What the fuck is going on? Okay relax. Okay. First was the glasses, then the door, then the tooth past but that could happen to anyone, I literally broke the faucet handle, now I could fucking stick to walls. But how the fuck did I get to the wall. I was across the damn room. Early I swear everything went in slow motion when I fell.” She muttered to herself
“Don't panic. Do not fucking panic.”
“Was it the spider bite?”
*
"Ellie come on!" Sarah called from down stairs.
Could she tell someone. Dina, she was her best friend for a long time. She told Dina everything. Well besides the big as crush she had on her best friend. Sam. Sam she could tell Sam. No.
She shook her head and hurried down the steps carefully. Not really knowing how to control her new found strength. She would have to get the hang of that. Then she could tell Dina or Sam.
"Alright come on. You can tell me how your gigantic crush you have on Dina is going."
"Ugh Sarah."
"Oh come one. I wanna know. College drama wasn't as juicy as it was in high school. Always the same crap." The two walked out of the house and towards the park that wasn't that far. There was an ice cream shop not far from the park. So that's where they were headed.
"How's school? Are kids still giving you a hard time?"
"They're always giving me a hard time. Can't accept the fact that I'm gay as hell and that I'm smart and that I fight back, sometimes. Well they don't like it."
*
Ever since Ellie came to live with them, Sarah knew how reserved, shy Ellie was. Even though she had a mouth of a sailer. Ellie was still in her shelf. Even though Sarah was eight years older than Ellie. She still tried. And she was able to succeed. With time Ellie let Sarah and Joel in. Sarah took her big sister role very seriously. Scaring kids who she saw tormenting Ellie. She didn't care that these kids were younger than her. She knew people who were also Ellie's age who would gladly beat the crap out of Ellie's bullies if Sarah asked. (And she has.) Ellie came to live with them when the girl was only eight and Sarah was sixteen. When Sarah found out that Joel was thinking of adopting a kid. She was super excited. She has always wanted a younger sibling. When Joel showed her the file of Ellie Williams. It was an easy yes.
It was hard to keep an eye on Ellie when the girl was going to go to elementary school and she was in high school. But when she remembered that her best friend Talia had a little sister the same age as Ellie. She got Talia to agree for the little girls to meet. Sarah will always remember the first time Ellie and Dina met. It's been four months since Ellie was living with them. And Ellie and herself have already a strong sister bond. So when they walked to the ice cream shop. Ellie was practically hiding behind her when they head straight to where Talia and Dina sat.
"Hey Talia. Hey Dina. Girls this is my sister Ellie. Ellie, this is Talia and her little sister Dina." Sarah remembers how shy Ellie got. Especially since Dina wasn't shy at all, Dina was always one to speak her mind, even at a young age. Sarah saw how Dina looked at Ellie. How gentle Dina was. Never pushing Ellie to do anything she didn't want to.
*
So now with Dina in the picture, Sarah had someone who could look out for Ellie. Dina was just the right person for that. Dina was also very protective of Ellie. Always standing up to the bullies when Ellie wouldn't. Sarah knew she could count on Dina. She always has Dina she could trust. Dina loved Ellie probably just as much as Sarah did.
*
She didn't know what to do or say. She had fucking powers now. Superpowers. She could fucking climb walls, pick up some real heavy shit, see things from like hella far away, hear things, shoot webs from her wrist. She wasn't sure what to do with these powers.
Until she saw some guy trying to steal a old woman's purse. She needed to do something. She knew she just couldn't stand there.
These powers weren't given to her for no reason.
They had to mean something.