One Thing
One Thing
“Kiss me, Ella”
As their passionate lips met, a million things ran through her mind. Is he the one? Is this love? She didn’t know but what she did know, however, was that this kiss was beautiful. And she never wanted to let it go.
“I love you”
“I love you, too, Mason”
She did. She loved him the most her heart could. And that’s all that matters.
“Ella! Come here!” A voice from the back of the bus called out to her.
She obeyed, not even thinking that this was odd. She was Ella, the strange girl. Who would be calling for her?
“Hey, Ella! You uh...left them in chem yesterday.” The boy handed Ella her notebook. Her notebook that was filled with everything that has been on her mind. Yes, I mean everything. She just prayed he hadn’t read anything.
“Oh, thanks!”
She turned to walk away, when she felt a slight tug at the back of her shirt.
“Sit down, I kind of wanted to talk to you…” his voice trailed off.
“Oh…ok…” Ella mumbled. This was a completely new ball field for her.
“Anyways...I wanted to ask you something” He stoped
“Yes…?”
“There’s this thing…with like…four couples…this Friday…and umm…yeah…” He was so nervous. She thought it was the cutest thing ever.
“Yes! Yes! Yes! I’d love to!” A date…She thought…A real date!
“Oh good! See you then…” The bus came to a stop. They had arrived at Jackson Memorial High School. Ella expected today to be a wonderful day.
Throughout her day, Ella couldn’t get the boy out of her head. His name was Mason. Mason Mitchell.
She couldn’t wait until Friday, when some accured to her. Who were the other couples? It didn’t really matter all that much at this point to her.
At lunch Mason sat with her. Mason wasn’t popular. But he wasn’t a complete outcast, either. He was what you would call…average.
“Hello” He says, not knowing what Ella would think about him sitting with her.
“Oh Hello!” Ella makes it apparent that she’s very glad he’s with her.
“So…”
“I have a question Mason, well, two. I have two questions for you” Ella says, her word slightly blending together.
“Ask away, babe” Ella’s heart did a little flip inside her chest.
“Why me? What made you decide to take me? I’ve never even had a conversation with you” In the back of her mind she wondered if she was being set up. She tried to not think thoughts of such, but she couldn’t help but wonder.
“Because…well…everyday you sit here at this table with no one. Every day on the bus you sit alone. Yet everyday you are happy and so alive, your spirit is amazing. I want to be a part of that. And you’re beautiful. Yes, you are beautiful.” The words flowed from his mouth as if there wasn’t a more truthful statement in the world. And this truly was the single most amazing thing she had ever heard.
“Oh my gosh, Mason, I really don’t know what to say! Thank you so very much! I am so excited for Friday! This is so truly great!”
“I’m excited too! Now, did you have any more questions?”
“Yes actually, just wondering who the other couple was” She felt foolish asking this, but she really did wonder…
“Well…I guess it’s time for me to fess up. I lied. There are no other couples. I sort of, you could say, ‘chickened out’…I really wanted to take you out, and I figured it would make me look better, I guess. I completely understand if you don’t want to go now. I’m sorry, Ella” Mason was perfect for her. Slightly awkward in a sense, but mature enough to handle whatever life has to throw at him.
“Oh Mason. You are so funny! Yes, Of course I still want to go. To be completely honest, I really just wanted it to be us.”
“Awesome…well…I better get to class. See ya!”
“Bye…”
Then he was gone. Just as fast as he came, he walked out of the room to the next class. Ella had never realized that Mason was actually beautiful. He was tall, had black hair, deep blue eyes, and walked with graceful steps. He was perfect.
The next few days flew by. Before Ella knew it, Friday was here. And she looked, in one word, amazing!
There was a knock on the front door. Mason’s heart beats so hard he’s afraid that Ella will be able to hear it.
Ella walks to the door, takes a breath, turns the knob. And there he was—Mason. Standing in jeans and a tux-like shirt, with a rose for her.
And there Ella stood, still on the inside of the house. In skinny jeans, and concert tee.
“Hello, Ella. You look beautiful” Mason says. Meaning that statement in the fullest.
“Hello! You look great too!”
“Well are yo—“He was interrupted by Ella parents walking into the room.
“Well if it isn’t Mason! Welcome to our home, young man.” Ella’s father, Smith, says.
“In the flesh!” Mason jokes.
“Well you two kids have fun. Don’t keep her out too late.” Her mother says, joking, but still realistically giving her a curfew.
“Will do, Mrs. Ginger”
And they were off.
He drove a shiny black Mercedes.
He opened the door for her, smiles on both their juvenile faces.
“Where are we going tonight?” Ella asks.
“I thought you should choose” He says, remembering he didn’t even think where they should go.
“You said something about the movies?” Ella recalls. She wasn’t sure if that was a part of the lie…but it was worth a shot.
“Oh sure!”
They arrived at the theater and decided on “Thirteenth Street”. It was a recent horror film that Ella was not thrilled about seeing. She hated anything scary. But she had Mason. Mason would be there for her.
“Mason,” Ella started while they entered they theater. “I’m a bit of a baby when it comes to anything scary…”
“Aw! I’m sorry! Do you want to see something else?” Mason offered.
“No no! As long as I have you, I’m safe, right?”
“Absolutely” Mason assured.
The movie was horrifying to her. She only seen about half of it, the other half was covering her eyes, buried away in Mason’s chest.
When it was over, they both walked out into the parking lot. It was only 9 o’clock.
“Well, do you want some dinner?” Mason suggested, really wanting to stay with her longer.
“Sure” Ella says, happy that he wants to be together longer.
“But wait…”
“Yes?” Ella asks, hoping she didn’t screw something up.
“Kiss me, Ella”
As their passionate lips met, a million things ran through her mind. Is he the one? Is this love? She didn’t know but what she did know, however, was that this kiss was beautiful. And she never wanted to let it go.
“I love you”
“I love you, too, Mason”
She did. She loved him the most her heart could. And that’s all that matters.
The two spent the rest of night laughing and talking at a local diner. She was happy, as well as him. Nothing could make this time better.
* * *
At school on Monday, Mason wasn’t there. Ella figured he must be sick, why else would he miss school?
And it actually amazed her how much she missed him being there at lunch. Thought they’d only spent about a week together, they’d grown so close, that when they weren’t together it seemed as though they were missing a piece of themselves.
Mason didn’t return to school for the rest of the week. Nor did he answer phone calls or texts. Ella decided to go over to his house. She was so scared. More scared then she was at the movie, or even that she could recall.
When she arrived at his house, everything seemed in order. Both cars parked perfectly in the driveway. The porch light on. Everything was calm. Except her heart. Her heart would not stop thumping.
She rung the small doorbell on the porch, soon to be greeted by the warm smile of Mason’s mother, France.
“Hello Ella. We expected you to be coming soon.”
“Where is Mason? Is he ok?” Ella blurts out, forgetting to even say hello.
“Sweetie, Mason was in an accident. On his way home from your house on Friday evening. He’s over at St. Hillsdale Hospital. If you’d like to go see him, he’s on the third floor, room 235. We tried contacting you, but we never go through” Ella’s heart stopped. Her beloved Mason, an accident?? In the hospital? She had to get over there. And fast.
“Oh my gosh! I’m going over there!! I can’t believe this!”
Ella ran to her car, struggling to even get the key in the ignition. Tiny droplets of perspiration ran down her forehead. She just kept thinking about him. How amazing he’d been. How he’d, even in the short time they’d been together, made her feel special. And above all else, how she’s been the reason he’d been in an accident all together.
Ella burst through the front door of the building and didn’t bother to wait for the elevator. She darted over to the steps, and jogged up the stairs like her life depended on it. Oh wait—it did.
She reached the second floor and scanned the numbers on the rooms. 233, 234…235. His room.
She opened the door to see her best friend lying motionless on the long, white bed.
“Mason!” She ran to his side, and ran her fingers through his long, black hair.
“Mason, no! You mustn’t leave me! Mason, baby! Speak to me!” The panic in her voice was apparent.
Mason was unresponsive to Ella or for that matter…anyone. She never left his bedside. For three straight days she abandoned her life, for this boy that met more to her than anything else in her life.
Ella at some point on the third night, drifted off to sleep for the first time in days. However, not too long after she fell asleep, she was awakened by a loud beep and the panicked voices of doctors and nursed around her.
“He’s not responding!” One doctor yells.
By the time Ella realizes what’s going on the doctors have rolled his bed down the narrow, white hallway.
She jumped out of her seat and ran down the hallway toward the moving bed that held the one person she was completely dedicated to.
“Mason! No! Mason! No! Don’t leave me! I need you Mason! Mason!” She screeched. Tears flowed from her eyes. She was screaming at the doctors to make him better!
“Do something! You have to save him! I love him!”
“Ma’am, we need you to calm down” He would tell her.
They reached a room labeled E.R.
She knew this was the furthest she was allowed to follow, but she kept on following.
“Ma’am, I’m afraid this is the furthest you can go. You can wait in the waiting area and we’ll try to keep you posted.”
“No! I need to be with him!”
“I’m sorry Ma’am.”
And he closed the door.
She collapsed on the floor, balling and calling his name.
This was by far the hardest thing she had ever experienced.
Two long hours later, a tall man with brown hair can into the waiting area where Ella was still weeping.
“Are you here for Mason Mitchell?”
“Y-yes”
His face was grim with sorrow.
“I’m so sorry. We did what we could. His heart was too—“
He was interrupted by the loud screech coming from Ella. She fell to the floor. She wanted to believe that this was all a dream. But she knew it wasn’t.
“No! Save him! You have to! I need him! Save him!! No!”
“I’m truly sorry, sweetie.”
“Don’t tell me that!”
And then it happened.
Her cell phone rang.
It was France, calling for an update on her son.
Ella gravely opened her phone.
“H-H-Hello?”
“Ella? What happened? How is he?”
She handed handed the phone to the doctor who had told her the news.
She just couldn’t do it.
And across the room, there was silence expect the soft cry of Ella Ginger, who was left alone to grieve the loss of the one she loved.
The End
