#sidelines! ⊹ ࣪ ˖ 🖼️

[taintedpearls]

𓇼𓏲*ੈ‧₊˚ sidelines (masterlist)

pairing: childhoodbbf!ellabs x fem!reader

summary: you've been going to saltwitch beach every summer for as long as you can remember, it's home to you, but things change.

a/n: collab with @satellitespinner

ᰔ : prologue ⋆ 1.1k words

chapter one ⋆ 6.4k words

[taintedpearls]

𓇼𓏲*ੈ‧₊˚ sidelines (part i)

prologue ➜ chapter two | series masterlist

daily click — don't buy tlou

pairing: childhood bsfs!ellabs x fem!reader

cw: MDNI, cursing, use of marijuana, reader is 18, ellie & abby are 19, ellies a bitch and calls reader a slut, hurt w/ comfort (r & e), r has an outburst, no use of y/n, lightly edited, nsfw, ellie briefly touches herself to thought of r, ellie calls reader cherry

summary: you've been going to saltwitch beach every summer for as long as you can remember, it's home to you. and you wouldn't change that for the world...

wc: 6.4k

the usual feeling of pure excitement that you felt upon arrival at the summer house wasn't as prominent as the odd and unusual anxiety that you couldn't seem to push down. you told yourself that it was just nerves, you hadn’t seen ellie for almost two years and so far, your first impression of being hesitant to get out of the car wasn't so great.  you decided not to dwell on the feeling because you were tired. you knew that interacting with her was inevitable so why not get it over with? 

the difference in your appearance didn't go unnoticed by the two girls, you chatted with your brother as you made your way over to them. ellie eyed you as you still had that cheerful aura, and that childlike pep in your step. you were the definition of glowing, and ellie was a little jealous. 

“since when did she have tits?” ellie looked over at abby before receiving an elbow to the chest from her. “weirdo.” the blonde commented before ellie jumps to defend herself. “i was just sayin-!” before she could finish shes cut off by an oh-so familiar voice.

“abby, hey!” you greeted with a pleasant smile on your face, slightly jogging up to her and quickly embracing her in a hug, her bulky arm wrapped around your torso like it belonged there. the thick tension in the air was felt by all but stayed unrecognized. 

“hey kid, how are you?” she asks as you pull away, your eyes meet ellie’s for just a moment before turning back to abby. “I'm good! you look amazing, by the way” before abby could respond ellie interjects “you look different.” she states blankly. you shoot her a glare. “yeah, that’s what two summers does to a person. you of all people should know that, right?” you sass back, taking notice of her new look. she looked hot?  no, nevermind. you push past, making your way into the house and up to your room, leaving everyone behind. 

unpacking had to be your least favorite part of going away each summer especially when you were exhausted, annoyed and sweaty. while unpacking you had fleetwood mac bursting in your eardrums, music had always helped calm your nerves in any situation. your favorite playlist and a few deep breaths worked wonders.  

a few summers ago, ellie showed you a song she had been practicing on joel's guitar. “ wha’dya think, cherry?” she would ask with a smile on her face. “i love it!” you would always respond. reminiscing on that memory carved a genuine grin on your face, however that smile was quickly replaced by a look of terror and a slight jump. 

“jesus fuck!” you screamed, being met with ellie and abby leaning against your door on either side like this was some dramatic romcom was not what you expected when you turned around to put a couple shirts in your wardrobe. ripping one headphone of your ear, you expect them to say something, but instead they stay silent. 

“what do you want?” you give them a wary look. abby starts by pointing out your new look. “you look uh- pretty?” she scratches her neck awkwardly. you feel your cheeks heat up at the compliment. “thanks.” you reply. you try to avoid ellie’s harsh gaze burning into you. “so.. how’s school?” she continues, trying to keep the conversation flowing. “good, good” you nod in unison.  you decide to ease the tension by focusing yourself on unpacking. you and abby chat for awhile, paying ellie little to no mind. 

abby’s eyes respectfully followed you as you buzzed around the room, ellie however was straight up gawking at you without word. you finished up your conversation abby fairly quickly when the uncomfortable air eased away after a few words.  soon enough your sitting on your bed as you two converse innocently from opposite sides of the room. you cracked a couple jokes with abby but couldn't quite understand why ellie was still standing there.   

“ellie did you need something too?” you ask with a smile, finally making eye contact with the other girl in the frame. “nope.” she answered calmly before taking a hit from her vape. “just noticed how much of a slut you’ve turned into.” she crosses her arms, her eyes challenge yours. abby’s face drops, oblivious to ellie’s obvious intentions. 

“excuse me?” your eyes widen at the comment, the audacity that this girl had! two summers gone and all she can say is that you look like a slut?

“i mean- go off, you look great but like.. how much skin you gotta show for some attention?” she chuckles lowly. you thought she was done but apparently she wasn't. “are you trying to look more mature or something? so you can finally be taken seriously?” 

oh. 

“alright,” you stand up from your bed, running a hand through your hair. “i would love to listen to you critique me, but really i haven't changed that much. you would know that if you didn't miss two summers.” you bite back before shooing them out of your room so you could finally get at least a little bit of rest. even though abby didn’t really do anything, you simply didn’t feel like being around anyone after ellie’s embarrassing comment. 

you were exhausted. finally deciding to give unpacking a break for now and lay down. you slide under your blue and white covers that welcomed you after every long drive and closed your eyes... you fall asleep instantly when your head hits the pillow. 

you’re peacefully sleeping, dreaming about how this summer will go when you’re interrupted by your phone going off. usually, you would close your eyes and ignore it. but the caller was persistent and kept calling after you lay your head down once again. you grab your phone with an annoyed scoff but your mood sweetens when you see dina’s name displayed brightly on the screen. 

you quickly tap the green answer button and are about to speak when you’re spooked by the sound of dina’s voice blaring through your phone. 

“bitch! why didn’t you tell me you were back?!” she scolds you playfully. 

“in my defense-“ you start but are interrupted by cat’s voice coming through, “no excuses babe, we need to see you and we need to see you now!” you laugh at their orders and push the sheets off of you in a hurry. 

“okay. i’m coming!” shuffling through your room like a madman with your phone pressed to your ear, the dedication your friends had was real! “how did you even know i was back?”

“we ran into your brother just now,” dina explains “we’re parked outside to take you out, hurry up!” 

“fuck dina, way to give me some time to look presentable” you roll your eyes behind the phone as you multitask brushing your hair and triple checking you look presentable. 

“get out here!” you hear jesse demand “i’m coming out now, chill!” you confirm, stumbling down the stairs and seeing that nobody is home, weird. you see the parked car and are quick to wave while hanging up the phone. 

“dina, i awoke from my beauty sleep for you guys.” you say as you jump into the backseat of cats white jeep, right beside jesse, saying your hello’s. 

“anddd yet you still love us!” she smiles back at you and winks, you don’t deny it. 

you guys drive around for awhile, blasting your favorite songs from cats phone and catching up on whatever you weren’t able to talk about on call. you were genuinely excited, you finally had your people. 

when you finally arrive at your destination you’re in awe, i mean your summer house is big, but this? this was luxurious. 

“holy fuck cat, you live here?!” you plant your feet on the floor of the car and pull yourself through the open sunroof to get an better look at the home. cat giggled before grabbing your calf. “get in here you crazy bitch!” you smack your lips and sit back down. she closes the sun roof and you all make your way inside. 

the hangout was fun, you guys made ice cream sundaes and watched the sunset while being occupied by a game of volleyball.  

you and cat absolutely destroyed dina and jesse, obviously! 

you were able to get a ride home from cat while the couple stayed at her house, the ride home was comfortable, not too long with good music and conversation. 

“how much you wanna bet that dina n’ jesse are fucking in my parents room right now?” she asks with a smile. 

“your guess is better than mine, but i’d say $10.” you look over at her and she laughs.  the open windows are breezing her short, black hair around, her earrings dangling along. 

you two pull into your driveway after cracking joke after joke, she puts the car in park before turning to you. 

“did you want me to walk you up?” she asks with a soft smirk, reaching for her keys. 

“no, no!” you brush her off, “i’m fine by myself.” you smile. 

“if you say so!” she turns the car back on and gently reaches over and pats your thigh. “see you around, yeah?” you place your hand atop hers and reach for your door with the other. 

“of course!” you clarify. before getting out of the car and shutting the door. just as you’re about to walk away she rolls down the passenger window. 

“goodnight!” she waves you off and makes sure to stay until you get into the house.   you wave to her once more before closing the door and she drives away. 

you drag yourself through the house, tired. 

you were definitely going back to bed. 

ʚїɞ time skip, summer ‘15 - 8 years ago

you smack your lips at the sweet yet tangy flavor that the cherries left in your mouth. not hesitating to pick up another handful as you admire abby on her surf-board while ellie and your brother built a sand castle in the sand, just a few feet away from you. 

you were happy. 

“hey!” ellie calls out to you, before running up to your spot and plopping herself down next to you. she reaches out her cupped hand in front of you, you shoot her a confused look.  “give me some too!” she demands jokingly.  “oh, sorry!” you giggle before placing four almost perfect cherries in her palm. “thanks, cherry” she chuckles at the newfound nickname. you two snack on them for a little while before ellie finishes hers. “d’ya want more?” you ask, reaching for the bag one the opposite side of you. “no, im okay” she responds, you place the bag back down. 

“yeah im done too.” you insist before poorly zip locking the bag shut and smiling up at ellie with a wide, toothy smile. she laughs at the look on your face. “why’re you laughing at me?” you fake a slight frown. “you're covered in cherry juice, lemme help” she wipes the excess juice from your lips with her thumb, her tongue slightly poking outside her mouth.  “done!” she cheers, the sun making the tiny brown freckles on her face shine. her own toothy smile making you melt more than the hot sun.  

“do you wanna come build a sand castle with us?” she asks. but before you could answer you hear your brother yell at her. “ellie no! don't let her! she’s just gonna mess it up!”  “fuck you!” ellie responds before taking your hand in her own and leading you over there. 

your brother groans but lets you, mostly because your dad was watching, at least you're being included one way or another. “whats up, cherry” your brother mocks. 

“hey! only i can call her that!” ellie shouts. “whatever” she earns an annoyed eye roll from your brother. “come on cherry, sit down” ellie pats the sand next to her. 

your sleep is disturbed by a dip in the mattress before you can feel a heavy hand shaking you awake. the weight of sleep lifts off your eyes when subtle gusts of wind blow your curtains into your room. you let out a guttural groan, you need water. you sit up slightly in your bed, your arms slightly behind you holding you up as you meet abby's eyes. 

“whats up, abs?” you whisper in a raspy voice, she removes her hand from your shoulder and smiles when answering “just wanted to make sure you're awake, you won’t be able to sleep tonight if you keep going any longer.” you force down a smile at her consideration. she gently lifts herself off of your bed before making her way to the door. “thank you, abby” you rub your eyes with your palm, trying to wake yourself up. shivering slightly as you take the covers off of your body. 

you walk over to the window to shut it when you notice the sky, almost completely dark. it was late, but not too late. in your opinion it was the perfect time for a swim. 

you quickly discard your clothes and replace them with your favorite bathing suit and the towel. 

when you slide open the sliding glass door you notice the smell of weed as you walk out into the back yard. you slide the door shut and walk over to the pool. you're spooked at the sight of ellie and abby sitting on the edge of the pool, smoking a joint. they were whispering about something but abruptly stopped when they noticed your presence. 

“that’s quite the bathing suit, cherry. you’re kinda proving my point here, don't you think?” she passes the joint to abby, who takes a hit immediately. you feel a sudden confidence within yourself as you walk over to the pair, ignoring ellie’s comment and take a seat right next to abby. without thinking you delicately take the joint from abby’s hand and take a hit from it as well.  you slightly dip your head back as you exhale the smoke from your lungs. looking over at abby when you pass it back, a confused but ultimately impressed look crossing her face. ellie only chuckles before abby asks; “when did you start smoking? miss ‘goodie two shoes.’” you scoff before standing up, placing your towel down and descending into the lit up water. 

“you can't really tell me you weren't smoking weed when you were 18, can you?” you joke before dipping your head under the water and swimming a few laps. when you resurface you notice ellie’s pink, glossy eyes on you. you two share a look for a moment before you speak. “you should take a picture, it’ll last longer.” you tell her off. but her reply wasn't what you expected. “i might.” her voice cracking slightly from staying silent for so long. you cover up how flustered that comment made you with a scoff and an eye roll, you continue swimming. 

some time passes before you resurface again. ellie was gone, abby was smoking alone, so you swim over to her. you rest your arms on the outside of the pool. “where’s ellie run off to?” you ask, looking around the yard.  “do you actually care? cause all day you've been hating each other hard. the tensions so thick i could cut it with a knife.” she inhales another hit from the almost finished joint.  

“that’s not fair, she’s been gone for two summers. my grudge is justified.” you state argumentatively. abby puts out the joint on the concrete, pressing it into the ground to make sure its out. “do you know why?” you look up at her. “not a clue, none of you ever tell me anything.” you pry “why didn't she come?”  

“not my place to tell you.” she sighs. “are you fucking kidding me? it’s been two years and i haven't been told shit!” she throws you a weak smile. you knew she wouldn’t tell you, so you give up with a sarcastic chuckle. “you’ll find out eventually.” 

“okay.” you mutter before you lift yourself off the edge and duck under the water for a few more laps, when you emerge from the water next, abby is still sitting there. feet gently paddling the water. “do you want to.. come in with me?” you ask kind of shyly. swimming with abby was always something you looked forward to every summer without fail. 

“i probably shouldn't.” she declined politely, own thoughts rushing to her head. “im gonna- head inside.” she shot you a tight lipped smile and stood up. “sorry, kid” and with that she was already missing, leaving you in the pool as you close your eyes and frustratingly flop back underwater once again, completely relaxing your muscles and letting it overtake you.   

ʚїɞ summer '19 - 4 years ago

“they're pre-occupied” abby tells you as she walks out of the house, towel in hand. you roll your eyes “look what mario kart is doing to our generation!” you shake your head jokingly.  “rainbow road is destroying families.” abby adds on and you both laugh. 

the two of you make your way down to the beach, abby's surfboard under her arm as your padded feet burn from the sand. you were so excited! everytime the group made their way down to the beach you would giddily watch abby on her surfboard, just waiting for the day she would cave and teach you. 

“you excited?” she elbows you with a smirk, based on your body language she already her answer. “i am! im gonna be a pro surfer by tomorrow, watch me.” you laugh, the feeling of excitement coursing throughout your body. 

you and abby walk side by side until you reach the beach. she teaches you how to wax the board, as well as where to get the best waxes. she tells you which brands make the best wet suits and you guys practice a bit of balance on the sand before you finally slap the board down on the water. 

“before you’re gonna even try standing you're gonna practice on your knees. got it?” you nod eagerly and sit on your knees, abby’s hands guiding you easily. you wobble slightly after getting on and abby places her hands on your hip to steady you. “i got you, i got you.” she reassures. 

abby was a good teacher, and had you standing on that board in no time. 

“i’m doing it!” you beam and abby couldn't help but smile at you. 

“you're doing amazing!” she cups her hands around her mouth so the praise could reach your ears. 

when you turn around to look at her for approval, you fail to notice a wave coming straight for you. “wait! Turn back arou-!” abby attempts to warn you, but the wave has already hit, knocking you off straight off of her surfboard and into the salty sea water. she panics, quickly swimming over to you as you break the water’s surface and frantically spin your head around to try and find her. when you do finally spot her, the blonde thinks you’re on the verge of tears before you break out into a smile and begin to laugh. she stares at you in shock for a moment, swimming closer and briefly inspecting you for any possible injuries (as well as ensuring the laugh isn't a possible cover up for an incoming sob), eventually coming to the conclusion that you’re fine. but your laugh, your laugh is just so contagious she cant help but join in on it. 

“you looked so fucking worried!” you manage to say in between giggles, she jokingly shakes her head in disappointment. “of course i was! you just got fucking slammed underwater!” she exclaims, teasingly splashing even more water onto your face. your jaw now starting to hurt from just how wide you were smiling. 

“c’mon. let’s head back to shore, i think that’s enough practice for the day.” abby concludes, gently grabbing your arm and pulling you forward back onto the surfboard as she pushes you to shore, sun setting behind the both of you. 

ʚїɞ present day

gasping for air as you surge up from the water once again, you decide it's finally time to get out of the pool and begin to get ready for dinner. grabbing the nearest towel on one of the pool chairs, you quickly wrap it around your body before sliding open the plexi-glass door as ellie and abby previously had, making your way inside the house. 

“hey kiddo!” jerry calls out to you from the oven, supposedly taking something out of it as he places it on the counter, removing the colorful oven mitts from his hands. “hey, jerry” you smile at him, you were able to get a quick greeting with him in before, but you had missed him the year you were gone. moving over to the kitchen island and leaning against it to have a quick look at what he and your father have prepared for dinner. “all of this looks absolutely delicious” you comment, noticing one of your favorite dishes tucked away to the side.

“why thank you! it’s almost done if you wanna take a quick shower before meeting everyone else down here?” jerry suggests, you stand back up properly “yeah that would be great. speaking of, where is everyone?” you question, you haven't seen your brother or father since you arrived, and abby and ellie were nowhere to be found. 

“your father and brother went out a while ago to get some more groceries for the next couple nights, abby went along with them i’m pretty sure. as for ellie… i have no idea.” he sighs, leaning on the opposite side of the counter as you. “alright, well im gonna go take that shower and i’ll come back down here to help set the table!” you smile at him, returning back to a standing position before making your way to the stairs, jerry simply nods his head, retreating back to cooking. 

you exhale while walking up the stairs, removing the towel from your body to gently dry your hair so you dont cause the floors to become even wetter than they already are from the pool. upon making your way to the bathroom, you discover where ellie had been – showering. 

as she walks out in only a sports bra and basketball shorts, you're rendered speechless, the opposite to how you've been acting around ellie so far. 

“hey cherry” she casually greets you while leaning up against the bathroom wall, towel loosely hanging around her shoulders “hey ellie.” you respond with the same energy as you previously had “where’d you disappear to before?” you ask, kicking yourself immediately after for such a stupid question. 

“thought you would prefer to keep anderson’s company rather than look at me for one more second,” she quips back "how was it? your swim, i mean.” 

you stay quiet for a moment, “it was nice. i lost track of time, she left shortly after you did.” you explain, ellie purses her lips, lifting herself off of the doorframe and walking away from you, you contemplate your next words for a moment. “wait, ellie!” you call out, turning your body to face her. she stops in her tracks, spinning her head around and waiting for you to continue with your sentence “i was trying to ask abby but she wouldn’t tell me. why weren't you here for two summers?” you cut straight to the point. all you wanted was an answer. the auburn haired girl simply looks down and away from you before turning the opposite direction and entering her bedroom. 

looking down at your own feet, you accept defeat and wander into the bathroom. removing your bikini, and stepping into the shower, letting the stream of water overtake your senses once again.  

after a while of sitting in the steam, you decide to wash your hair, doing a shitty job of detangling it caused from the chlorine. you grab your bottle of shampoo and squirt some into your hand before sloppily rubbing the gooey substance around your head and rinsing. you repeat with your conditioner before finishing up with washing your body - berry scented body wash, obviously.

while you lather your body wash onto yourself, your mind wanders to ellie. the way she looked at you, all the things she said to you. no. absolutely not. she called you a slut for gods sake! maybe she was right? you hadn't even had your first kiss yet though. you shake away any incoming thoughts on the subject for now when you decide to finish up in the shower. reaching over to the tap and gently twisting it until the warm water faded away and you were left shivering behind the curtain. you water no time grabbing your soft towel and wrap it around your dripping body in hopes of warming yourself up again. 

realizing that upon your shock of seeing ellie exit the bathroom, you had completely forgotten to bring your clothes to the bathroom. which meant you had two options – one, call for your brother who probably wasn't even home yet and risk him bringing you the worst clothes known to mankind. or two, run out to your bedroom in just your towel and pray nobody sees you. 

option two it is! 

quickly ensuring your towel was tight enough to not fall off, you crack open the bathroom door, making sure there’s nobody you can see who could see you. with the coast seemingly being clear, you make a run for it. opening the bathroom door fully and fast-walking to the familiar pale blue door you had spent many summers sleeping in. everything was going to plan, nobody was upstairs! you close the door with a weary breath and rush to the soft clothes splayed across your bed. you pull your cotton panties up your legs and shimmy into your silk sleep shorts. you decide against your sleep shirt for now, instead opting for a thick hoodie with your soon to be university name displayed proudly across the chest.  

you take a seat at your desk and apply some light makeup, nothing too fancy. some minimal skincare, a bit of mascara and the tiniest bit of blush. afterwards, reaching over to your jewelry case and putting your earrings back in. 

cute! you think before you tiptoe out of your room with intentions of quietly going downstairs but are met with ellie in the hallway. 

“hey.” you mutter with a polite smile, she doesn’t respond. instead retreats downstairs quickly. 

why do you even bother?

you follow behind ever so slightly, taking notice of how her nonchalant facade has died down quite a bit. 

you looked her up and down as she went over to your brother at the kitchen island. her hair was dry and combed back into its normal up-down style. she had also returned her rings to their original places and put on a chained necklace. 

abby had freshened up as well, her usual messy braid tightened around her scalp, and her black wife pleaser hugged her torso well. along with her plaid pajama pants, she was conversing with your father.  

everyone else looked good, obviously. it was tradition to at least try to clean up for the first dinner, after that, nobody cared. you quickly gazed over the group and took note of one person's absence in particular.

you pay it no mind for now and watched everyone in friendly chatter, enveloped in their own conversations. this was home. as you walk closer, you take the opportunity to set the table discreetly. grabbing the silverware and plethora of plates, gently bringing them over to the oak table and accidentally making a – very loud –clatter from dropping the silverware. everybody's heads immediately turn to look at you

“oops?” you say, but it comes out more as a question, shooting them a smile in order to diffuse some of the tension that had been created from your hunched figure over the table. 

“here, let me help.” abby insists, making her way towards you to help. you don't object, letting her come forward and grab the fallen silver. you shoot her a thankful smile and continue setting the table as everybody returns to their previous conversations. 

“that’s one way to make an entrance” abby whispers as she she trails just behind you, putting the forks, spoons and knives just after you place the woven placemats down. “oh hush,” you groan, she continuous to lay the utensils “as if im any less clumsy then you.” she nudges you harshly, reminiscing on all the past time she’s completely stacked it in front of you. 

“hey, by the way, are you wearing a hoodie because of ellie’s… dumb comments?” abby asks as you return any leftover dining material to the kitchen counters and start grabbing food to place down, you ignore her. “dinner is ready folks!” you announce, putting your hands up party style and allowing everyone to take their seats while you go ahead and grab a glass of water for yourself. 

when you turn back around to take your own seat, you realize the only spot left is right between abby and ellie. they are lost in their own chatter with each other when you come to sit in between with them. 

you don’t speak to either of them when you sit down, instead opting to quietly grab whatever food looked most appealing to you to stuff onto your plate – then later into your stomach. 

you zone out as everyone continues with their previous conversations, head racing with many, many thoughts. why was ellie gone for two summers? where’s joel? why does everything feel different? 

“where's joel?” you speak up, not even realizing the words had left your mouth until you look up to find everyone staring at you, faces gloomy. “what? I haven’t seen him in awhile, i wanna know how he’s doin’” you drop your fork, scanning the faces around the table to show your putting all your focus into this conversation. 

“you’re fucking with us, right?” your brother snarks back

“language.” your father interrupts, staring down at his plate. you chuckle at that. “father of the year award goes to you.” you mock under your breath. “and no! i’m not messing with you!” you answer honestly, “i don't get told anything around here. all i want is an answer.” your brother scoffs at this. “what, i’m serious! can you guys just tell me where he is? and ellie, where the hell were you for two summers? i didn’t hear anything from you for two years. hell, i was starting to think you and joel had died!” 

everyone falls silent. 

ellie abruptly stands up from her seat at the table “i’m not hungry.” she declares, before moving around you and rushing up the stairs. her fast paced footsteps are heard before the harsh slam of her door. 

“what’s her deal?” you ask the table, nobody answers. too focused staring down at their plates. “are you guys serious right now? i’m old enough to know these things. and sure, i know joel doesn’t come every summer but i thought he would at least come to this one.” your eyes start to well up with tears, you just wanted to be treated like an adult. 

your dad sighs and finally draws his eyes back to yours. you both silently stare at each other for a short moment, couldn't have been more than a few seconds but it felt like forever. “you should go talk to ellie.” your dad finally speaks up, jerry hums in agreement.  you nod at them and politely excuse yourself. you pause yourself and turn to the table of your almost-family. 

“thanks for dinner.” you shoot the group a sarcastic smile and continue to drag yourself away from the kitchen and up the stairs, towards ellie’s room. in the short distance you walked your thoughts started to eat away at you. 

maybe joel was dead? 

no. he couldn't be!

he was notorious for missing summers, and there’s no way they would keep that from you, right? 

your thought were cut short when you find yourself in front of ellies door, the run down “ellies cave! do not enter!” sign that was still there made you smile.  you brace yourself by taking a few deep breaths and then gently cracking the door open. you spot ellie sitting on the edge of her bed, back to you. 

“knock knock” you softly welcome yourself into her room and close the door behind you. ellie doesn't greet you, instead keeping to herself.  you stroll around the bed and sit next to her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. her red, glossy eyes stayed glued to the ground. you squeeze your eyes shut as you try and find what you want to say to her. 

“listen, ellie.. if i did anything to upset you or if i made you uncomfortable-” “stop,” she whispers, her voice slightly cracking which alludes her to clear her throat, interrupting your rambling. “i just-” you sigh. “im sorry if i did.” you clarify with a slight breath of relief, like you had been holding it in forever.   the feeling didn't last long, the longer she stayed silent the more anxious you got. 

what was up with you? why did you suddenly care so much?

ellie, for once didn’t know what to say. she fiddled with the rings on her fingers, they felt encapsulating.  a habit you knew all to well. you placed a hand atop of her own two. 

“can you look at me? please?” you knew you sounded pathetic, you knew you would probably regret this later, but you wanted to help her. eventually your pleas pulled through and she averted her gaze from the floor to you. tears stained her freckled cheeks, the whites of her eyes colored pink, drastically clashing with her green ideas. 

she doesn't say anything, instead throwing herself into your arms and letting her emotions take over. “fuck, cherry i’m so sorry.” she sobs into your chest. “i didn't mean what i said” she declares as she squeezes the back of your tear soaked hoodie. you slowly start raking your fingers through her soft auburn locks. 

“shh, shh. its okay.” you whisper gently into her head, placing a few gentle kisses to her forehead. you slowly rock the two of you from side to side and rub circles to her back. her sobs eventually subside as you lull her to sleep. 

you didn't leave straight away, you sat there with her to ensure that she would stay asleep, when she did you gently laid her down across her bed and cover her up with a blanket that was thrown over a nearby chair. you smile at her tranquil state.

you leave ellie’s room feeling hopeful, maybe things would go back to the way they were, maybe things could be normal again. 

While your closing the door to ellie’s bedroom is when you run into abigail once again, you both stop in your tracks.

“hey, abby.” your voice trembles as you say those two simple words.

“hey,” she replies warily “are you okay?” she cautiously makes her way towards you as you tilt your head up in hopes of not spilling your tears. 

“oh im doing great,” you joke, laughing to cover up the incoming wave of tears “just peachy!” abby can sense the incoming tears and is quick to envelop you in a tight hug, just in time as the tears well over your eyes and onto your face. you shove your neck into her shoulder, wishing that you could disappear. 

first day back, and you're already crying? right after you argued about wanting to be treated like an adult? grow up. 

“hey.. what’s wrong?” she softly asks, you lift your head up from her neck and look up at her. “i don’t know.” is all you can muster out when the waterworks reappear, and abby tenderly places your head back into her shoulder. 

“it’s okay… its okay…” she reassures, carefully making her way to your bedroom as to not disturb your sensitive state. 

when she delicately places you on your bed, you stay sitting up. She doesn’t say anything, but begins to make her way back to your bedroom door, assuming you wanted to be alone. 

“stay.” is all you say, smoothly grabbing her arm, forcing her to stop in her tracks. 

“oh, uh-” 

“please.” your grip on her arm becomes a little tighter, it’s only then she realizes the last thing you need right now is to be alone. 

she lets out a heavy breath and turns back around to you. “okay,” she complies, “okay, i’ll stay.” 

“thank you.” is all you can squeeze out, releasing her arm and laying down, facing the opposite direction of her. 

she goes to turn off your lightswitch, allowing the moon shining through your drapes to be your only source of light from your open windows and goes to lay down beside you hesitantly, trying to not take up too much space on your bed. 

“abby,” you whisper, “my bed is big enough to fit both of us, it’s okay.” you reassure her “oh,” she says awkwardly “are you sure?” 

you let out a soft giggle, opposite to the state of your currently tear stained face “yes, im sure.” 

you fall asleep together, laying side by side in your white seashell printed bed. a thin blanket covering the two of you as the wind blew inside the walls you had missed so dearly, the walls you had grown up in, the walls you hoped would stay engraved into your memory forever. 

this summer was going to be different, it was going to be good.  

ellie couldn't stop thinking about you. your new persona plagued her mind, awake and asleep. she couldn't stop thinking about you and it had taken effect. she woke up drenched. she groans as she shifts in her bed, trying desperately to fall back asleep. when that didn't work she turned to sleeping pills, which in this case didn’t help either. 

she slowly slid her slender fingers to the waistband of her sweats she tried to imagine you in that bathing suit, god that bathing suit. her fingers met her aching clit, she slowly began rubbing circles on the bundle of nerves, she imagined you in the pool, your body drenched in water. she impatiently slid her fingers down to her slick covered slit, 

god she was so fucked.

[taintedpearls]

𓇼𓏲*ੈ‧₊˚ sidelines (prologue)

chapter one | series masterlist

daily click — don't buy tlou

pairing: childhood bsfs!ellabs x fem!reader

cw: you've been going to saltwitch beach every summer for as long as you can remember, it's home to you. and you wouldn't change that for the world...

a/n: this is me and izzie's second collab. we brainstormed this idea while on call a couple days ago and are so excited to post what we whipped up this afternoon!

wc: 1.1k

ʚїɞ summer ‘21 - two years ago.

summer was finally here and you were ecstatic! summer meant saltwitch, and saltwitch meant you got to see ellie and abby again.

you’ve known abby and ellie for as long as you could remember, they’ve always been the one constant in your life, the only people you know can always fall back on them and know they’ll always be there for you.

the ride up to saltwitch was slow, as always.

maybe if your dad would finally cave and let you bring your own phone to saltwitch and not insist on you staring at your phone all day (even though you never stare it at for that long anyway) from your constant begging and get you a phone just like your brother you would actually have some entertainment.

a sense of excitement coursed through your veins as the many blue and white summer houses started to come into your line of sight, but ultimately is replaced with a sense of confusion when only abby’s car is to be seen outside the summer house.

jerry waved your father over almost immediately, rushing out of the house to catch up to abby who was already outside waiting for the both of you. You’re quick, however, to realize ellie is nowhere to be seen.

“hey, what’s up abby!” your brother says as he walks over to her with a huge smile on his face. she doesn’t hesitate to wrap your sibling into a breathtaking hug, ten months was a long time without seeing the people you grew up with, after all.

she pulls away from your brother and looks down at you, “hey, kid” instead of a hug you’re met with a smile and her hand meeting you head, ruffling your already fairly messy hair. god you hated that.

“when will you stop that?” you ask, rhetorically. “and, where’s ellie?” you look up at the pair. abby and your brother exchange a look, partnered with a sigh from the blonde.

“i’m afraid there’s no ellie this summer.” she delivers the news with a really real looking frown on her face. you almost believed her.

“yeah right! ellie wouldn’t miss summer here for anything.” you laugh awkwardly, subtly prying for more information on her whereabouts.

“i’m serious, kid. something happened back home.” the look on her face now tells you she really wasn’t kidding, you can see now that the frown was not sarcastic.

“oh shit. i’m so sorry.” you sheepishly reply, your face feeling hot from embarrassment. “that’s so… unlike her.”

“all good.” she responds, before grabbing your brother and running off to the pool, they didn’t even unpack, leaving you with his and your own bags while your parents caught up on the last couple months.

ellie didn’t show face at all that summer, no facetimes, no texts, nothing. she became a ghost. you had tried to convince abby to give you more information on what the hell happened that made her skip summer in saltwitch and stay in boring old jackson, but she wouldn’t budge.

eventually, you forced yourself to give up, you had accepted the fact that ellie wasn’t coming this time and you couldn’t change that.

that summer went by slow. no ellie meant no fun in your eyes, often times you thought of her when the group would do something fun like play mario kart, or sneak out to the beach at night when your dad’s were dead asleep. without her, you were there for nothing.

soon enough, the summer of 2021 was officially over, and it was time to go back to the real world. that world consisted of homework, set bedtimes, and neither ellie or abby.

you waved goodbye out the back seat of your dads red minivan, brother beside you. sighing as abby and her father faded into the distance and you’re forced to look out the side window, maybe next summer would be different.

ʚїɞ summer ‘22 - one year ago.

another summer without ellie and at this point you weren’t even sure when you would see her next. abby and your brother still refused to give up any information about how she was doing, where she was and what made her skip not one, but two summers in a row!

you also learnt to stop forcing yourself into your brothers group alongside abby. They only saw you as some annoying kid, and you got tired of it. branching out was good for you. that’s how you met dina and her boyfriend, jesse. one moment you were relaxing on the beach, and the next you were shoved into a volleyball game with the couple and their friend insisting they needed one more player.

this summer flew by, it felt good to meet new people instead of being stuck at home with your brother and his two friends playing mario kart.

you waved goodbye out the back seat of your dads car, once again. sighing as dina, jesse and cat faded out into the distance. texting them the entire ride home, without ellie crossing your mind once.

ʚїɞ summer ‘23 - present day.

a lot had changed since the last time you saw ellie. 16 to 18 tends to change a person more than you would think. you had managed to make friends last summer, you grew out of your awkward pre-teen habits and eventually became a version of yourself that you liked waking up as.

you also took notice to the amount of boys who would look your way after you had (in your mothers words) blossomed. however, you never paid them any mind, friends of yours would sometimes ask you if you even liked boys and to that you would stay silent before changing the subject.

your childish crush on ellie never truly went away, no matter how many times you tried to convince yourself that it had run its course. usually, it lingered well into the school year and before you could fully get over it, you were back at the summer house, with ellie.

the ride there wasn’t so bad this year, considering you just tuned your family out the second you sat down, your “summer ‘23” playlist on blast the entire drive up.

when you finally arrive, the first thing you notice jerry and joel’s vehicles, the sense of dread you felt those past two summers returned, but not because she wasn’t here, but because she was here.

stepping out of the car you noticed right away that they both looked different. the once awkward, dinosaur obsessed ellie pressing a yellow vape to her lips before passing it to abby, who went from lanky and tiny to buff and strong. she looked really good.

when the girls finally turn heads and make eye contact with you, you can see them both look you up and down then look at each-other.

you all had done a bit of growing up those two years.