Yeah, Ellie is a loser.

Ever since you first stepped foot on Jackson, her green eyes have been on you and you only.

Sure, she's tried to make it not so obvious, but she might just be the worst person at doing exactly that in the history of forever.

The boldest she's tried to do is make small talk, but she's always gotten too embarrassed to keep going.

As if the universe was pointing at her and laughing, you've been assigned her patrol partner.

You might think that meant you've been getting closer. Well, sort of, but not quite. Her palms still sweat when you're around, and her heart beats faster than a gunshot.

Don't get me wrong, she's nice, she's just really, really awkward around you, and she's hyper aware of it, which makes everything even harder for her.

That's why, when she finally asked you to hang out with her a day you were both out of patrol, you didn't have to think about it twice before saying yes. You figured she just needed a couple months to ask something as simple as that.

Fallen leaves crunched as you both walked together, sharing earbuds. It was early autumn, the air was starting to get chilly as Dreams by The Cranberries played on Ellie's Sony Walkman.

It wasn't hard to notice how nervous the girl next to you was, fidgeting with her hands restlessly, and immediately panicking and looking away as she caught herself staring at you for more than half a second.

"Nice weather," she said. Well, muttered. Real creative, Ellie. It's a miracle she didn't stumble on her own words.