Silent Auction. | Everyone.

[Ellie Mankelow]

It was no secret that the art gallery wasn't a fun place to visit especially for teenagers. But this year, Kingswood Art Gallery was choose to hold the annual silent art auction fundraiser. That meant that it was very important for all the families of Kingswood, especially those of Valetta Road to attend this function and behaviour gracefully to represent their families.

"So what's the deal with this whole silent auction thing?" Ellie's date, Sean, asked her quietly. Ellie smiled, "Every year a gallery in California is choose to hold the auction. Anyone can enter. From unknown amateurs to world class professional. Potential buyers go around and write their bids on a piece of paper. Then, as with normal auction, it goes to the highest bidder and all the money raised goes to charity." She explained.

Sean went off to the bathroom and Ellie couldn't see any of her friends around at that moment. So, she decided to have a look around at what people had submitted. A lot of the works were great, most she didn't understand but she was never really one to get art. But, there was one painting that made her double look when she saw the familiar name. Carol Foster. Her mom?. "I painted this. Do you like it?" A voice from behind said. She turned to see her mother standing behind her. The bitch who ran out of her after her sister was born. The woman she hadn't seen since she was 2 years old, staring her right in the face and she didn't even recognise her own daughter. Ellie knew it was her as soon as she saw her face.. "..Y-Yeah, it's great." Ellie managed to choak up the words. As her mother walked off with a smile on her face, Ellie took a deep breathe. Once she had calmed on herself, she put on a fake smile acting like everything was absolutely fine. Something she was good at. She knew Sean wouldn't notice. Trying to distract herself, she went looking around for a familiar face

[Sean Collins]

Sean came out of the bathroom after a few minutes, and walked around through the maze of paintings, trying to find Ellie. He stopped to admire a few paintings and drawings, which were all really good. Eventually he found Ellie, and he put his hands over her eyes from behind. "Guess who!" He grinned.

[Ellie Mankelow]

She removed his hands from her face and turned out with a smile on a fake smile on her face. Ellie just hoped he wouldn't see through it. She hadn't exactly explained to.. anyone what happened to her mom. Her eyes drifted quickly back over to her mom who was standing with a teenage boy. She recognised him from the younger year levels. He must have gone to her school. "Is this your son?" She heard someone ask her. Ellie's face completely dropped when she saw her nod and say that it was. Ellie dropped the glass that she was holding and it shattered to the ground but she didn't even react. She'd had another son.. and she stayed with him..?

[Sean Collins]

Sean focused on Ellie for a moment, but her attention quickly moved to a lady standing behind a painting. Before Sean could ask who she was, Ellie dropped the glass she was holding on the ground and it shattered everywhere, cutting up both her legs and Sean's legs. "Are you okay?" He asked, his eyes widening. There was glass all over the ground, and half of the people in the room were looking at Sean and Ellie.

[Ellie Mankelow]

It was when everyone's attention, including her mom's turned towards herself and Sean, did Ellie realise what she'd done. She looked to the ground to see a waiter picking up all the glass. "I'm so sorry." She told him. He gave her a slight smile and shook his head. It didn't take him long to take pick up all the glass and as he walked off she can give another apologetic look that he then returned with a smile once again. How nice. Ellie looked at Sean who was still waiting for answer. "Did I ever tell you what happened to my mom?". He shook his head. She let out a sigh and explained to Sean that her mom had left when Ellie was too, and her sister was a new born. "T-That's her.." Ellie weakly pointed over to her mom who was talking to what looked like a potential buyer. "She's had another son. He goes to my school. He's Abby's age.. S-She left us, and then straight away started a new family. Michael's lived her since I did.. This whole time.. she's been here." Tears filled up her eyes. It all made sense. "Oh my god.. that's why my dad came here. He followed her over.. a-and that's why he said her name.". Tears were about to flow over at this point. Could her mother have found out that her dad was here.. and killed him?. Ellie buried her head into Sean's chest. She couldn't control the tears. Was her mom responsible for the death of her father? Why did she Abby and Ellie and yet stay with her new son the same year?. So many questions. No answers.

[Sean Collins]

"Oh my god...Ellie..." Sean whispered, rubbing Ellie's back. There were still the few people in the room staring at them, but they had no idea what was really going on. "I'm so sorry...I don't even know how to respond." He said. "Just...stay calm...take deep breaths." He said, trying his hardest to calm her down.

[Ellie Mankelow]

"It's fine.". The words came out all muffled. She was sure that Sean didn't believe her, she barely believed herself. Ellie walked off to the bathroom to fix up her make up. It took her a long time because everytime she would fix it, she would cry it back off again. Eventually once she had finished crying, she had her make up the way she wanted it and she had changed her hair to an up do. Ellie returned back to Sean. "I'm sorry that you had to see that. You've just been seeing me at my worst lately.." She sighed. Poor Sean.

[Sean Collins]

"I'm here to help." Sean whispered. "I hate seeing you crying and upset. I just want to make it all better." Sean said, sighing.

[Ellie Mankelow]

"Don't feel that you have to do that y'know, the things I've been going through lately.. just can't be made okay." Ellie sighed. She knew that was probably for him. She knew she'd feel like crap if she saw him hurting and couldn't do anything about it.

Sean tried to help Ellie get her mind off of her mothers presence. Although it was always at the back of her mind, Sean had something about him that just drew the happiness to her. The pair were gazing upon one of the pieces of artworks when Ellie whispered, "You know that this is our first real date, just us, and we're spending it with a bunch of old art folks.".

[Sean Collins]

"Well old people are cool." Sean whispered, trying not to disturb anyone in the auction. "What an interesting first date. When I become famous, and you're my famous girlfriend, and someone asks us where we went on our first date...do you think people will laugh if we say a silent auction?" Sean tried to hold back his laughed.

[Ellie Mankelow]

Ellie let out a laugh that seemed to be too loud for the crowd around the pair as she was met with glares. "Oops," She whispered. "So, is that what I am.. your girlfriend?". It was something that they had never spoken about. Sure, they were dating.. but did that mean that they were exclusively together?. Ellie became oddly nervous about what his answers could be.

[Sean Collins]

Sean stiffened a little, hoping she didn't think he was weird or moving too fast or anything. "Well I mean...if you want to be..." He looked down at their feet, waiting for her to answer.

[Ellie Mankelow]

"I do.." She admitted. "I kind of already sort of think of you as my boyfriend anyway even though we're not exclusively a couple yet.. so, y'know.."

[Sean Collins]

"Well I think from now on...you're my girlfriend...and I'm your boyfriend." Sean grinned, looking over towards her. He liked the sound of that.

[Ellie Mankelow]

Ellie smiled. They were such an awkward shy couple but it just fit when they were together. "I could get use to that." She smiled. Ellie was falling for Sean fast. She just hoped that didn't turn out to be one of those couples that break up after like a week.