🍂Chapter 9: A Lawyer And A Doctor
Thursday and Friday were like a weird limbo for Lennon, as the band was free from practice on these days. In the past they would even go to the band room at times to play keyboards and sometimes chat with Eliana who, as a resident overachiever, would often show up as well during after-school hours.
However, lately word's been out that Tobias and Pippa have been occupying the band room as well since Thursday - because they wanted to catch up with everything to be able to go to France with the band. Ellie even joined them on a Thursday evening and has likely formed a rapport with them as they even managed to write some new melodies.
Whatever, maybe next time...
Ugh! No, of course, Lennon wanted that too. It seemed like so much fun, and they were all nice and welcoming. They really wished they were able to join the three of them.
But the whole Tobias thing was just reminding them of how much they still had to process when it came to love, relationships, their trauma. The latter now making its weird comeback out of nowhere when they thought it was so long ago that they weren't bothered anymore.
Would Tobias and Pippa even want to be friends with them, or just with Ellie who of course is a natural charmer? What if they'd be an instant vibe killer? What if they let their guard down just for a second and get too excited or say something weird, something they would probably only say around Ellie and even then not always - and Tobias and Pippa will end up giggling at them behind their back, thinking they're too weird and quiet, or too much and too loud, because they just didn't know how to be a comfortable in-between?
Yeah... maybe they should just stick to a friendship with Ellie. Besides, the whole thing with their intense feelings for Tobias only will make him even more put off.
Even more put off than he already probably was yesterday after their shared classes, when Lennon didn't know whether they should completely ignore him or excitedly wave at him.
Remembering how all functional people around them act, the result was them giving him a weird, "trying not to be overly eager but it totally was" smile that they later also felt could come off as passive-aggressive.
Tobias was clearly floored and taken aback by it before squeezing a tiny smile back.
That surprise on his face was imprinted in Lennon's mind. He definitely thought they were being weird, or even wondering why exactly they're smiling at him, with them not being friends or anything...
Clearly it's better to just avoid meeting his gaze in classes and strictly sticking to band matters with him during rehearsals. And get over him. Definitely get over him.
"Hey!" Eliana's chirpy voice made them snap out of their trance after the last class. "You know, I feel like you may need a distraction. Wanna come over?"
"Hm?" Lennon raised their eyebrow.
This came out of nowhere, and something must have totally been in the water this week, because Ellie has never invited them over. Well, to be fair, neither did they, aside from that one time when they knew for sure Tiffany was out - introducing a friend to her would have been a total nightmare - and even then it was just a quick drop-by because Ellie wanted to say hi to their pets, as she had a real soft spot for animals despite not having any at home.
But Ellie has never even brought up the possibility of visiting her, and the only thing Lennon knew was that one of her moms was a lawyer, and the other was a doctor, deducing that Ellie has got to live quite comfortably thanks to them.
"Come over! That's like, the one time both my parents are out until the evening, normally at least one of them is home by the time I come back from school," Ellie said. "Not like I wouldn't want you to meet them, but... well... eh, it's easier this way. What do you say?"
"Sure, why not," Lennon smiled. "But wait, am I supposed to bring a gift or something? I don't know if I'm supposed to come empty-handed..."
"You already are a gift," Ellie winked. "No, seriously, don't worry about it. Like I said, my moms are not there anyway."
"Then fine," Lennon nodded enthusiastically, knowing that being alone in the company of their wonderful brain would definitely not do them any good right now.
Lennon's guesses were proving to be right, as the longer they and Eliana walked along the streets of Twinbrook, the fancier all the surrounding houses were. They have only just noticed a house that looked rather grand and made a mental note about it to themself, when Ellie said:
"Yeah... So this is my house."
She even seemed a little uneasy, probably either catching up on Lennon's curiosity about her background or anticipating that they would have questions.
"It... must be a lot, I know," she said a bit awkwardly, the stress suddenly in her eyes as she thought over what she'd just said. Lennon decided to rescue her from her clear overthinking of the fact that she'd basically just called them poor, and break the ice.
"It's lovely," they said. "You sure I could come inside?"
"No, no, no, Lennon, don't worry about it- it's not like you- I didn't mean that you- I... uh..." it didn't help at all, now Ellie was so close to hyperventilating, and Lennon had to think of an urgent plan to distract her.
"Look, a bird!" they pointed to the sky, though the bird in question was hardly within their view. This seemed to make Ellie snap out of it a little bit, though, as she curiously looked into the distance.
"Oh," she uttered. "I do love birds."
"You are one," Lennon said. "A chirpy little one."
Ellie glanced back at them with a slightly touched expression, as if she took it as a compliment. Before she had a chance to snap back into beating herself up for receiving a nice compliment but basically calling someone poor a minute ago, Lennon once again decided to take the matter in their own hands.
"So? Let's go inside?" they suggested, and Ellie nodded.
However, right after they entered the house, they heard some muffled voices from the kitchen. Eliana immediately froze with an apologetic look on her face.
"Oh no," she whispered. "I thought they wouldn't be home, I told you-"
"Eliana!" a voice rang, belonging to one of Ellie's mothers, Daniela, a woman with frizzled hair and slightly anxious demeanor. "Are you home? The plans have changed a little, so I... Oh," she reacted, seeing Lennon together with her daughter in the hallway. Then she breathed in and out.
"Hello, dear. You're from the band, aren't you?"
"Yeah, I'm-"
"Who's from the band?" another voice rang, and the other mother, Carol, showed up from around the corner. She was still in her work outfit, wearing heels, and exuded confidence and strictness. "Oh, we have visitors here today, I see."
"I'm Lennon, from the band, yes. I, uh... we're doing a school project together with Ellie, but if you want me to go, I..." they couldn't always read the room, but the tension was clear, especially from Ellie's scared face.
Was she so worried because her moms wouldn't want them here?
Before they managed to dive into that spiral, however, Daniela mustered an even bigger and wider smile, almost like they did on a red carpet.
"No, no, dear, stay with us for some tea!" she suggested, leading Lennon into the kitchen. Eliana still seemed a bit dejected, as they noticed when they caught her eye, so they decided to mouth to her that it's okay.
It couldn't be worse than Tiffany, after all? Nothing is worse than Tiffany. Oh, she would have actively been asking uncomfortable questions and borderline trauma dumping right now. Ellie's moms actually seemed decent so far, and like, it's fair that they didn't expect guests. Well, Carol did freak them out slightly with that evaluating gaze, but...
"How's the band?" Carol asked first, as on a cue.
"Well," Ellie answered, her usual vigor gone. "It's been fun, I suppose."
"I take it you're Eliana's new friend?" Carol moved her attention to Lennon.
"Hm, I wouldn't say new, we've already been friends for about... a year or so?"
"Oh, yeah, right!" Daniela remembered. "Lennon, how could I forget! Our Eliana has been... talking about you before."
"Yeah, she always said the band was fun," Carol added. "Temporarily, at least, because Eliana has recently started her preparations towards entering the law school and following into my steps."
Huh?
That's new, Lennon thought. Lawyer? So the band was just temporary fun for her? They would have never thought, with the way she always did care a lot about the band and meticulously chose the pieces they would play, but Ellie was an overachiever in general, so maybe it was just one of her outlets.
"Well, it's not set in stone yet..." Ellie mumbled with a nervous giggle, and Daniela's face also changed accordingly.
"Yes, exactly, Carol," she glared at her wife. "Our daughter still has a choice. Maybe she will choose to become a doctor, like me!"
"We will see about that. And what about you, Lennon?" Carol asked. "What do you plan on doing after graduation?"
"Um..." Lennon realised that most of the time, they've been living in the moment. And right now, the band meant the absolute world to them. But of course, they were all in their junior year of school. Some people have already started choosing their future profession - their actual future profession - and they weren't surprised Ellie was one of those people. Them? Not so much.
"They're just living in the moment," Ellie seemed to read their exact thoughts. Carol clearly wasn't very pleased.
"Well, then I guess they still have a bit of time to figure out what they want to do in the future," she said.
Carol was indeed that strict boss lady that was a little freaky, but, strangely, Lennon ended up admiring the way she cared about her daughter's future success. Would Tiffany even do the same for them? She has never for once brought up their future, aside from her entire obsession with Lucien and the family reunion that caused her a tunnel vision. And here were Ellie's mothers, explaining her the importance of studying and great future, even if that future wasn't a music band.
Psh, what were they even thinking? Whose future even is the music band? Certainly not Ellie's.
Luz? No, she's destined for more - even if she pursues music further, she will undoubtedly go solo with that siren voice of hers.
Jenny? That girl changed her interests with a speed of light, starting with her personalities and ending with who she has a crush on this week, and they suspected she was only in the band because she was clinging to Luz.
Marcelo? They genuinely didn't know, but Marcelo was a decent student and had the vibe of someone who would eventually become a dentist or a shop owner or something along these lines. Why would he play violin until the end of his days?
Pippa... Well, she's from a musical family, but are her parents still playing in a band they were in at 16? Maybe she'll curate other temporary school band extracurriculars as she grows older, like her dad does.
And what about Tobias?
He did have that passion and determination that Lennon hardly saw in anyone, and this is what sold them on him. Maybe he does stand a chance on making this his life's work. But, as we already can see, the school band is doomed, so one day, eventually, Tobias will leave. Find some lone bands to play in, gain some experience, maybe join the semi-famous one. With his looks and charisma, he's bound to have loads of fans. Are groupies still a thing?
Ugh, Lennon thought, this is not where they wanted their mind to go at the table with Ellie's parents.
They didn't even remember how the not-so-pleasant conversation ended and they and Ellie ended up in her room. It was posh and frankly more in Carol's style than Ellie's, they noted, but maybe that's how Ellie liked it.
"So yeah, this is me," Eliana shrugged a little awkwardly. "I'm so sorry. They said they will be out, I didn't know- if I knew, I-"
"Please don't worry about it," Lennon assured her. "Your parents are nice. I enjoyed meeting them."
"Yeah..." Ellie diverted her eyes, a still silence following.
"I didn't even realise you basically lived in a mansion."
"Oh, please," Eliana replied. "That's all my parents'. Not mine. Maybe someday I'll earn enough for my own mansion."
"As a lawyer? Or a doctor?" it slipped.
"Can we not talk about it? I don't know yet," Ellie looked gloomy, and the tone clearly changed. Lennon could sense they stressed her out. They were a bit protective of Ellie, even though they knew she didn't need protection, so they immediately felt bad.
"Sorry," they mumbled. "But, just so you know, bands pay well too. If you're dedicated enough. And believe that it will work out."
"Who knows, maybe I'll just decide to run away and be a travelling musician," Ellie grinned, but it was a little forced, and Lennon knew she was joking and not being serious.
This girl? A travelling musician? No, not like she's fragile. She's stronger than she thinks. But she's so sheltered, so nice, the beloved extrovert, the A+ student... Does she have it? That sadness inside her? That edge?
No, they felt bad thinking this way about Ellie. It wasn't in a mean way. It was just - she was genuinely easily the nicest person they met, and now they saw a bit of her life too. They would never want to deprive her of that path of becoming a lawyer fighting for justice, or a caring, compassionate doctor. It was her world. It was selfish to be upset it doesn't go along with theirs.
The irony was, Ellie was the one who originally had this whole idea with the school band. Of course, from what she told them, there was somewhat of a band before - they didn't get to see it in all glory as they transferred just a little after Ellie took over and joined soon after, but according to her, it was so depressing that she just had to step up. The old members couldn't handle Ellie's innovative ideas and left, but soon enough, other people have joined.
Ellie was truly multi-talented. She started out playing keyboards, like Lennon, as she attended piano classes and a variety of other extracurriculars from a young age. This was how they originally bonded, too - it was an immediate click and she was so impressed by them that she left them to tend to the keyboards and taught herself drums in long after-school sessions, as she claimed it helped her unwind.
But in the end... Music was just one of the activities that she was interested in. She was more than that. She deserved more than that.
Wait-
A completely mindless phone-scrolling session was what made Lennon snap out of their depressing funk.
Tobias Fletcher, on Instagram, boasting his new haircut? Lennon didn't even get to do the proper stalking session of his insta page as an initiation into the new crush (at least they knew this was what Ellie did with her crushes), because Tobias barely posted anything. Which surprised Lennon, because they thought he'd have a completely opposite online presence, but there were only a few posts, among which a goofy selfie with a Kristen who was presumably his sister and a close-up of his guitar.
"Oh my god..." they whispered, without even hiding their heartbeat immediately going faster. That gaze again! Right into the soul! One would think he only possessed that magical ability in real life, but no, he could do that through the phone screen as well.
"Oh!" Ellie perked up. "What's there? Oh... Is this who I think it..."
"Um..."
"Wait, let me see," Ellie moved closer towards them, but she was so quick that she inadvertently kicked the phone out of Lennon's hands, and in a desperate attempt of trying to catch it, they committed the unthinkable.
"Oh no. OH NO!" Lennon let out a visceral scream. "Look!"
"What?" Ellie looked closer. "Oh, you liked the post!"
"Yeah, you made me! And I'm one of the first to like it too! He literally posted it like two minutes ago!"
"What's the big deal? He will know you've seen it and like his new haircut!"
"This is a nightmare..." Lennon muttered.
Before they managed to process and think over the implications of the like, a frantic Daniela barged into the room.
She was holding a book with a rather raunchy cover and seemed a little agitated, but as she threw the kids a look, her face immediately changed into an unconvincing smile.
"Eliana, dear, I'd like you to be quiet," she said. "I'm trying to... read here, and my head really hurts. No screaming."
"I'm sorry, Mrs Tisdale," Lennon said apologetically. "It was me, not Ellie. I won't anymore."
"Good, thank you dear," Daniela grinned directly at them, then turned to Ellie. "I hope you remember you still need to study?"
Study on a Friday?
"Yes, mom," Ellie nodded, her face sinking.
"I guess I gotta go home," Lennon felt like it was their cue to leave - perhaps, Ellie didn't want them to, but they didn't want to get her in trouble with her parents, and they already felt a bit unwelcome by them.
"Wait! I'll see you off," Ellie offered, putting her shoes on.
As they heard a dozen more apologies from her, reassured her it was fine, and left her house, Lennon surprisingly realised that despite her parents being a bit strict, they couldn't even blame them. A lawyer and a doctor are bound to work hard, and they have achieved everything they had with their own hard work, and they expect the same from Ellie. She does seem a bit overwhelmed and stressed, but who wouldn't be...
And yet, this day had an odd energy overall. The vibes were just off and made Lennon get into their head as they walked home. They definitely felt judged for not having aspirations yet. Music was their aspiration. It was where they felt at home.
But are they supposed to aim for something different? To start thinking about college, about their future? They were a good student, and they knew they had potential, but so far, they couldn't think of anything that would interest them as much as music did. Any other future seemed... okay, but not entirely theirs.
Anyway, Lennon thought, maybe they just needed space from Ellie... but they knew they couldn't just get space from everyone and everything that made them mildly uncomfortable. Besides, she's their best friend, their only real friend, and she needed them. At least for now.
So they had to learn to just live with it, somehow.
***
A/N: It took a bit longer than I planned because of life stuff but I was actually getting two chapters at once prepared, so chapter 10 will come very soon as well, I'm confident I will manage to post it before new year's. It will be Pippa-centered and give an insight into her impressive extended family ties. 👀
Super happy to put out a chapter focusing on Ellie and Lennon, I've viewed them as best friends for years even way before I decided Ellie will also be in the band (in the version where she wasn't, I even felt sad that their paths are destined to diverge... but not anymore). I'm glad that the story is now alternating the POV and backstories of all four future band members instead of just Tobias. A peek into Ellie's family life was interesting. Some parts of it is a little callback to a certain piece of media, but I won't say which in case it doesn't age well as it's not finished yet. Fun fact: initially Ellie had a sibling, but I didn't vibe with that sim so she's an only child now. The only one out of the band, so it's a unique perspective (Lennon was raised an only child, but they have a brother, and Tobias and Pippa also have siblings)
This chapter also demonstrates a bit how Lennon (particularly in their younger years) is prone to making quick assumptions based on their own life experience. This will come back to bite them. But I think it's pretty realistic for a neurodivergent teen who hasn't been treated kindly by life, and these little human moments are why I love them and writing their inner thoughts. I kinda love writing these kids and their neverending spirals in general.
Oh and I've also changed the editing a little! I think I'll stick to this one, it's kinda moody and nostalgic.
And of course I had to throw in a barely noticeable reference to a certain writer that won't appear for a while but will definitely play a huge part...
