Ella's pov:

"I can't believe I am going to be a senior, I feel so old." Julie says as we were both lying on our backs on her bed.

I have been here for almost a full 24 hours.. and I have never experienced so much girl talk in my life.

Sure I have a sister, and we had girl talk.. I guess, it is just easier to talk to Julie.

I mean, me and Ally are like, complete opposites, but Julie... is just so understanding.

"Wasn't Ashton a Senior last year? I think that means you are calling him old." I snicker, but Julie just playfully hits me.

"No but seriously, why and how did they let me pass junior.... why did they even let me pass preschool. I need nap time." Julie says closing her eyes.

"Nap time? No... don't tell me you were one of those kids who actually slept during nap time."

"Oh I was, and it was great," Julie laughs, "did you never sleep during nap time?"

But I shrug my shoulders, "I wouldn't know, I never went to preschool."

"Oh right! You're homeschooled, what's that like? I have always wondered."

I think for a couple seconds, "honestly, not fun at all. It gets pretty lonely since there is no one to talk to."

"Oh... is that because of your.."

"Parents? Yeah."

Julie sits up, "If my parents did that to me, I don't know what I would do."

I sit up also, wanting to change the topic, I say the first thing that pops into my head, "So, how about your relationship with Ashton?" I say, raising my eyebrow.

At this, Julie blushes, "Gosh, I am so in love with that boy, it's pretty... weird."

"Weird?" I laugh.

She laughs back as she shakes her head, "To be honest, I would have never expected myself to get an actual boyfriend, I thought I would be adopting about twenty cats."

"How did you guys meet?"

I watch as Julie lets out a nervous chuckle, "That's a story for another day."

"No! I want to know!!" I beg.

"Let's just say a lot of things can happen when you are window neighbors." She says.

"Do you miss him?"

"Heck no! He visits too much! He needs to focus on school." Julie shakes her head like a disapproving mother, this causes me to let out a fit of laughter.

"That is not what I was expecting you to say."

"Okay, okay, I'll put it this way, I love him very much..."

"But?"

"But... I don't want him to feel like I am holding him back. College is suppose to be fun and I want him to have the whole experience. I love that he likes visiting me, I just.. can't help but feel bad."

"You shouldn't feel bad, maybe he just rather be with you than crashing a college party."

Julie smiles, "I guess you're right."

"When did you guys start dating?"

At this, Julie's mouth opens and then closes... "Uhhh...."

"Uhh?"

"That's a good question."

I giggle, "You don't know when you guys started dated?"

"Look! It's been a long time okay? I can't even remember what I ate for breakfast."

"We ate waffles."

"Oh yeah..." she draws out which causes me to laugh.

"But you are so lucky, Ashton cares so much about you."

Julie only nudges me, "I don't think I'm the only 'lucky' one here." Julie winks, which causes me to stare at her in confusion.

"What-.."

"Oh don't use that on me Ella Sanders, you know exactly what I am talking about."

But I only give her a playful glare, "Me and Luke are friends. Just friends."

"Trust me Ella, been there, done that, do you really think me and Ashton just immediately had feelings for one another."

"Yes?"

"No, we were friends first, trust me, nothing like Cinderella or anything."

"What made you realize you like liked him?"

Julie freezes and thinks, "Well before we started dating, Ashton... and I'm going to say this in the nicest way possible... was very, very cocky. Is he still? Sometimes yes, but as I talked to him more, I got to see, well the real him."

"Why do I feel like you are trying to teach me a lesson or-.."

"Shhh," Julie says which causes me to shut my mouth instantly "see, like most of the girls, I didn't fall in love with him by his looks-.."

"Luke said you saw his six pack and almost fainted-..."

"What was I supposed to do?? Not react!"

"Technically-..."

"Let me continue," she whines and I laugh, "Ella, you don't understand that Luke.. well I don't mean to be rude, but he has a past of dating girls right away. But you, you are different. You are getting to see the real him, and he might not say it out loud, but Ella, that's all he has ever wanted."

"What he has always wanted?"

"I think you have met his parents, they don't give him the time of day to know more about him. Luke has always just wanted someone who likes him, for well him."

"Have you... talked to Luke lately?" I ask, maybe just to ensure that he doesn't actually hate my guts.

But Julie's facial expression, wasn't a good one.

Which made me assume the worst.

"He's not upset with you..." she says and looks down.

Something was not right.

"Julie, what's wrong-..." but I gasp as she looks up, there were small tears falling down her face.

"I'm sorry." She cries and puts her hands to her face, I instantly move closer to her and wrap my arms around her in a hug.

We stay like this as she cries on my shoulder.

I rub her back, not knowing what to do.

After a couple of minutes, she starts to pull back and I let go.

I watch her as she wipes her face with the back of her sleeve from her sweatshirt.

"I.... uhm... am not on the greatest terms with Luke right now."

My eyes open in complete shock. What was she talking about?

I give her a curious look as she continues, "I... knew Samantha was pregnant... but.. I just couldn't tell him. I was scared. And then..."

"He found out?"

Julie just nods her head.

We sit in silence for the next couple of minutes, or was it just seconds? I couldn't really tell, but it was a good time for me to think.

Here I was thinking he was so upset with me.. and yet... he was more upset with someone else.

Julie didn't deserve it, I mean, sure she should have told him, but.. she was afraid.

And.. I understand what it's like to be afraid.

Why do you think I never really stood up to my parents for so many years?

Suddenly, I hear a phone go off, I look around and pick up my phone.

I knew it wasn't my parents because the first chance I got, I blocked them.

And as for my sister... I blocked her too.

I couldn't take the chance. I can't go back.

Trying to regain my focus, I look at the screen.

"Who is it?" Julie asks.

"It's... Luke."