Chapter Three

'Ellie-Spinelli!'

The mere confines of the door to Ellie's flat were paltry in the face of Adam's loud tone. The entire building most likely heard him and this wouldn't be the first time. Thankfully, they didn't seem to mind...much. Only the grumpy, elderly man downstairs occasionally thumped his ceiling with his cane, an indication that she should settle down her 'ruffians', as Krista had so eloquently dubbed their group of friends.

Ellie wished, however, that Adam would only use the nickname within the confines of her flat. At least that way no one would hear the embarrassing moniker. Or maybe he could come up with a new nickname; he was good at that. She hadn't even watched an episode of Recess since she was thirteen (she still harbours the belief that Spinelli was the coolest of the gang). But then again, why couldn't Adam just knock like a normal person?

'You dare compare me to average peasants?' he gasped one day when she actually asked him.

'You are under arrest!' Adam continued to holler.

She rolled her eyes at his antics but smiled, answering back, 'Working as an ICT consultant in the police station does not actually make you a policeman, Adam.'

'That's what they want you to think.' Ellie can almost see him pointing his finger at her and raising his brows, a classic trademark in the many expressions of Adam.

'If you're trying to tell me that you're secretly a spy then do you really think it's the wisest decision to scream it for everyone else to hear?'

'Probably not, but that's what the snipers are for, you silly goose.'

'I think you're mixing snipers with assassins.'

THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.

There goes Grumpy Old Man again.

'Ellie, could you just let us in? That lady across the hall is giving us the stink-eye.' She heard Krista say, then in a louder voice she added, 'That's right, Lady, we can see you!'

Ellie decided to open the door before she got trouble from her neighbours. Her friends turned back to her and greeted her with a group hug.

Several minutes later the three of them were preparing their dinner and snacks.

'By the way, why are you still wearing your uniform, Krista?' Ellie asked. Krista started working in Tesco four months ago, after quitting her job at Pizza Hut. Before that, she worked in a Starbucks café. Before that, she was a volunteer at her local library. Krista had decided that University just wasn't for her. Not yet anyway, not until she found her 'calling'. Like Ellie, she was twenty-three, but she still didn't know what to do with her life.

'Who wants to waste three years of their life and risk ending up in debt the rest of their days with a degree they hate?' Krista had voiced her opinion aloud years previously, holding onto a glass of white wine as she sat atop Ellie's counter. 'Besides, it's not like a degree can guarantee me a job anyway'.

'I thought it was supposed to be your day off?' Ellie continued.

'Oh, Debby bailed. So I had to cover,' she replied, yawning, 'which means I got stuck with till duty.' She rubbed her tired eyes, Adam and Ellie's sympathetic gazes watching her. 'She knows how much I hate dealing with customers.'

Ellie turned to her with understanding. 'They're the worst, right?' she agreed. Having dealt with her fair share of snappy, hungry fast-food eaters, she knew the maddening feeling all too well.

Adam removed a bottle of red wine from his bag and plucked two glasses from Ellie's cupboard, placing them on the table for him and Krista, knowing that Ellie didn't enjoy drinking.

'Speaking of unpleasant twats, how's the job holding up? Do you need me to be there when you buy a gun?' Krista offered.

'I'll hold you to that offer,' Ellie sat at the kitchen table.

'That bad, huh?' Adam said, expertly dislodging the cork from the wine bottle.

'I mean, he does his job. It's just that...it's degrading that I have to do all his chores.'

'Well, that's what a PA does, isn't it?' Krista asked.

'No, that would be a maid,' Adam corrected, pouring drinks for the two of them. Krista absently took the offer.

'Guys, you're missing the point here,' Ellie said. 'I'm working underneath Ricky-' Adam opened his mouth but Ellie beat him to it, '-don't even go there, Adam!'

'You just lost an awesome Ugly Betty reference,' Adam said, sulkily.

'Colombian, Mexican or American version?' Krista asked, curious.

'Do you even have to ask?' Adam said, smirking. 'That Michael Urie is one fine piece of-'

Ding

'Oh, food's ready, guys.' Ellie squatted down and pulled out the lavish tray of lasagne from the oven. 'This looks amazing, Krista, you've really outdone yourself this time.'

Krista smiled. 'I know.'

'Say, why not just be a cook?' Ellie offered. 'You can be like Monica Gellar owning that over-priced restaurant.'

'Or Gordon Ramsay,' Adam said. 'Either way you're screaming at people.'

'I don't like screaming at people,' Krista said in a childish tone. 'And I can't work under that much pressure.'

Ellie took out a wooden spoon and before she could even dip it into the meal, Adam had somehow disarmed her, the spoon flying to the side.

'Hey! Wha-' Ellie rubbed her unfortunate hand, the slight stinging sensation dying down.

'Whoa! How did you do that?' Krista's awestricken face sent Adam so much pride that it could've given Ricky a run from his overstuffed bank account.

'It's a secret,' Adam whispered, teasingly. Ellie bent down for the spoon. 'Okay, I'll tell you! There's this really nice policeman I was helping and he showed me this really cool trick on how to disarm somebody from the front.'

'Show me, show me, show me!' Krista yanked the wooden spoon from Ellie.

'Hey-!' They both ignored her protest once more.

'Okay, basically, when someone's got you on knife-point...go on, do it.' Krista angled the utensil just above his diaphragm. 'You smack your right hand here, the side of your thumb against his wrist, that would loosen his grip, and then you quickly use your left hand to smack it out of his hand. Go on; try it on me, Krista.' With a grin still plastered on her face, Krista managed to get it right the second time. Then Adam warned, 'But the cutie told me not to do it unless you absolutely had to, because you always get cut either way.'

'This is proper cool! You're definitely showing me more of these. A girl could never be too careful.'

Ellie once again grabbed the spoon from the floor. Krista turned to her but Ellie held the pointed the utensil at her warningly. 'Don't even think-' Krista smacked the spoon right out of her hand.

'I did it again,' Krista beamed. Adam clapped encouragingly.

xXx

Approximately an hour later the trio comfortably sat on Ellie's sofa with their legs resting on the low table before them.

'Ellie, I'm really tempted to arrest you for your poor choice of films,' Adam criticised.

'For the last time, Adam, you're not an actual policeman. And, c'mon, it wasn't that bad.'

'Okay, even Hugh Jackman's pectorals couldn't save the ridiculous plot of that film.'

Krista nodded in agreement. 'I'm going to have to go with Adam on this one. All that for butter? Really?

Adam removed his feet from the table and put down the bowl of popcorn in their place. 'All the characters were out of their bloody minds.'

Ellie snorted, 'Then I'd advise you to never watch Happy Campers.'

'Oh I've seen that!' Krista replies, facing lighting up in recognition.

'Really? Why?' Ellie said.

Krista leaned closer to Ellie in an impish manner. 'Same reason you did – Justin Long!' Ellie flippantly pushed Krista's face away with a smile.

'Guys, hello!' Adam interrupted. 'Who's Justin Long?'

Krista slyly smiled and lightly wiggled her chest, 'Ellie's dream lov-er!"

Ellie scoffed. 'One time, one time.'

TBC

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