CHAPTER FIVE: MCDREAMY

ELISE AGREED TO GO WITH BELLA AND HER FRIENDS TO LA PUSH FOR ONE REASON, AND ONE ALONE:

Leah Clearwater.

Her best friend since diapers, the pair were inseparable throughout their childhood. With Harry, Leah's dad, and Charlie being as close as they were — along with Billy Black, who had two daughters Elise liked a lot, but they were off in school and his son was younger than Bella — the two girls formed an irreplaceable bond.

As Bella pulled into the parking lot of Newtons' Olympic Outfitters, Elise typed a quick message to Leah, with at least twelve exclamation points.

Leah responded a minute later with 'ok'.

She could barely contain her excitement, not even caring about Bella's friends' wide-eyed stares at her presence.

"Oh, you brought your sister," a tall blonde spoke up, her nose crinkling in distaste. "Didn't you graduate like three years ago?"

Elise raised an eyebrow at the girl's attitude. Her face was incredibly unfamiliar.

"I did, let's hope you'll graduate too, sweetie." Elise replied with a sickly sweet smile. Bella nudged her with an elbow and one of the boys in the group approached the pair.

"We're waiting on Lee and Samantha," he said to Bella, turning to Elise. "I'm Mike. You might remember me, your dad comes to my dad's store a lot."

Elise did not remember him.

"Yeah, totally, Mike Newton," she offered a friendly smile. "I'm not going to be hanging out with you guys or anything, but my best friend lives on the Res, so I'm just taking the ride over."

"You don't drive?" A brunette girl asked with furrowed eyebrows. Her and the blonde exchanged a look.

"Nope," Elise shook her head. "Oh, you have something on your shirt," she pointed to the girl's shirt where a small stain sat. "Might want to get that."

The girl's eyes widened and she looked down, scurrying away with the blonde.

"That's Jessica and Lauren," Bella pointed out. "Eric," she pointed to an Asian boy with glasses, "Angela," a girl with glasses and a book in her hands, "and Tyler."

Elise's eyes widened and she shot Bella a look. "The moron who hit you?"

"Elise, drop it."

"Absolutely not," Elise shook her head. "If he mysteriously drowns in the ocean, I have nothing to do with it."

Soon enough, 'Lee' and 'Samantha' showed up, and they all piled into different cars. Elise stuck to Mike's car, opting to sit in the back with Jessica, while a very uncomfortable-looking Bella took the passenger seat.

La Push was only fifteen miles by car and if Elise still had a car, she'd drive herself without the hassle of gossiping teenagers. But, alas.

They arrived soon enough and Elise was the first one out, spotting a familiar black SUV, and rushed over, ignoring her lungs gasping for air.

"Elise!" Leah's voice shouted as she ran over, pulling Elise into a tight hug. Elise wrapped her arms around her friend, tucking her face into her neck and sighing loudly.

"I have to cough," she warned, pulling back and breaking into a fit of coughs.

Leah rolled her eyes. "Make everything about yourself, why don't you."

Elise grinned as she wiped a bit of blood from her mouth onto her jeans. "Shit, I missed you," Elise looked at her friend.

Tanned skin, big brown eyes, a firm ridge between both eyebrows — the surest sign that she'd absolutely punch someone in the face if confronted — dark brown hair, strong jaw, and a smirk at her lips.

Her Leah.

"Of course you did, you left for three years, I'm incredibly miss-able," Leah shrugged as they walked back to her car.

"You could've visited," Elise pointed out. "Instead of holing up with He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named."

Leah rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it, I wasted precious years with a loser."

Elise pulled Leah into a side-hug as they approached the vehicle. "How're you doing?" She asked, looking her friend over.

Leah sighed, opening the driver's door and getting in as Elise entered the passenger side.

"I don't know," Leah began. "I miss him. That's weird, right? I just...I don't even know why and I think that's what bugs me the most."

Elise sighed, tucking her legs up onto the seat. "I like Emily," she started after a moment. "I always have. She's nice and friendly and kind but in no way, absolutely no way, shape, or form, is she better than you. And I promise you," she reached over the cab and grabbed her hands. "You will find someone worth ten fucking Sam Uley's. He's a moron. And I will absolutely break his nose."

Leah laughed, nodding. "You wanna get plastered?" She gave her a look. "Can you get drunk? Will you die if you drink too much?"

Elise rolled her eyes. "Anyone can die from alcohol poisoning. Let's go, bitch."

—

Elise didn't realize she had Carlisle's number saved into her phone. She didn't even really know how she wound up with it in the first place.

But, nonetheless, eight shots of whiskey and half a bottle of vodka later, she and Leah dialed his number, giggling.

"Carlisle Cullen speaking."

Elise laughed. "Hiiiiiii Doctor Cuuuulleen."

"Shhh," Leah placed a finger over her lips, laughing. "Don't let him know I'm here. Cullens are bad news. Shhhh."

"My best friend, she'snothere, she says, she says, she says your bad news," Elise slurred into the phone. "But I just think you're super hot. For like..."

It was quiet for a moment.

"'For like,' what?" Carlisle asked after a moment, sounding thoroughly amused. "Is there an end to that sentence, sweetheart?"

"Yeah, I said it," Elise argued defensively. "Get better ears." She snorted. "Nah, your ears are fine. I like your face though."

A soft laugh was heard through the phone. "Are you drinking somewhere safe?"

"At Leah's, she's my bestfriendeverforever," Elise said quickly. "Super safe. Drinking so much alcohol. Who knows when I'll get drunk again? Maybe Death will drink with me. Do you think he knows how to party?"

"The omnipotent personification of the Grim Reaper?"

"That one!" Elise cheered. "You're smart, you have like super big brains. 'S'why you're a doctor and not me."

"You could be a doctor, Elise."

"Not like you," Elise rebutted. "What're you doing right now?"

She took another sip of her vodka, grimacing at the burn in her already scarred throat.

"I'm just getting out of work," he replied. "Be careful with your liver, Elise, we don't need you hurting yourself."

"'M already dying, shush it."

"I'd rather you not leave until the last possible second, darling."

Elise grinned and Leah gave her a clumsy thumbs up from the oragami crane she'd been making. (It did not resemble a crane by any means and Elise wasn't sure where they'd even gotten the idea to make oragami cranes.)

"I like it when you call me nicknames. You're really hot."

Carlisle laughed again. "Elise, I'll tell you what: when you're sober in the morning, if you remember this conversation, call me and I'll take you to dinner."

"But I won't rememberember this combination."

Carlisle breathed out a laugh. "Conversation, you are very drunk, sweetheart."

"That I am, McDreamy."

"McDreamy?"

"It's fromashow. OH!" She shouted, grabbing Leah's arm. "Put on Grey's Anatomy, I love that show."

Leah nodded enthusiastically, standing sloppily and searching around for the remote. "I can't find it anywhere."

"It's over there," Elise pointed to the dresser. "Pass it to me, I'll turn it on."

Leah handed her the remote.

Elise pressed the power button.

"Your power's out." She pouted. "It'snotworkin."

"Here," Leah sat down next to Elise again, pressing the same button. "What the hell, man." She pressed another button — the tv clicked on — and then hit the Netflix button.

"'S'not working. Your boyfriend ruined my tv."

"I don't have a boyfriend," Elise argued. "I'd date Carlisle though. He's hotter than hot. He's like hot hot tamale."

"I'm still on the phone, sweetheart."

"Oh, hi, Carlisle! When did I call you?"

Carlisle laughed. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, Elise. Be safe, goodnight."

"Bye Hippocrates."

"Hippocrates?"

"Mmhm, bye." She hung up quickly and the two girls spent an embarrassingly long amount of time trying to operate the television.

—

Leah was the first to rise. She'd taken three separate trips to the bathroom to expel her alcohol and Elise barely managed in the kitchen sink before falling asleep on the tile floor.

"Don't ever let me drink again," Elise groaned out, resting a head over her eyes. "This is why we don't drink. What were we thinking?"

"Fuck if I know," Leah stumbled around the living room, grabbed a blanket and walked to the kitchen, sitting down next to Elise.

Elise sat up slowly and Leah wrapped half the blanket over her, and the other half over herself. Elise's head fell on Leah's shoulder.

"'M tired."

Leah hummed in response, but silence fell over them for a long time before Elise's phone buzzed.

Flicking it open, she saw a text from Charlie, two from Bella, and one from 'McDreemyCarli'.

"What the fuck," Elise squinted at the phone, looking at the name. "Is that supposed to be Carlisle? When did I even get his number?"

"Hell if I know. I think you called him last night."

Elise grimaced, burying her face further into Leah's chest. "Say I didn't."

"I can't remember really, but I remember a guy's voice. I think it was him."

"Shit," Elise clicked the message and the pair read it together.

McDreemyCarli
Good morning,
hope you slept well.
Please don't over exert
yourself, Elise.
Let me know if you need
anything!
Carlisle Cullen

Leah burst into laughter. "Who texts like that?" She winced, grabbing her head. "Fuuuuck, dude, my head. He's so old."

"He's not that old," Elise argued. "Probably mid-twenties."

"You need to change that contact name, it's god-awful," Leah pointed out. "Or I'll delete his number so I don't have to be reminded of last night and our horrible alcohol consumption."

Elise frowned. "Don't talk about alcohol," she clicked to his contact name and changed it to: C. Cullen. "Should I text him back?"

Leah shrugged, leaning her head against the cabinets. "Do whatever you want, I'm going back to sleep."

"M'kay," Elise nodded, snuggling closer to Leah. "Me too."

—

short chapter but I love Leah and she deserves so much more love.

fun fact! the entire drunk sequence is a true situation that happened to me (minus Carlisle) in high school soooooo they say write what you know loll.