HEY! HEY! HELLO!

TRIGGER WARNING!: (DON'T READ IF YOU DON'T WANT THE CHAPTER TO BE SPOILED. SKIP AHEAD!) Contains physical violence and partner abuse.

It isn't unawesome to be afraid, but it is to let it control you:

(December 16, 11:30 PM)

Rodereich: Pity that I didn't get to see you after the exam today.

Me: Pity for you. Victory for me.

Rodereich: Being a bitch again, are we?

Rodereich: Tell me now, are you still seeing that guy from the other day?

Me: And what if I am?

Rodereich: Terrible things will happen.

Rodereich: I've warned you about this many times.

Rodereich: And yet you still choose not to listen to me.

Rodereich: But this time you won't be the only one to pay.

Me: What the hell does that mean?!

Me: And what gives you the right to threaten me like that?

I inhaled sharply. At this point I was freaking out. I was ballsy enough to respond to Rodereich only because I was with Matt. He made me feel safe, but now, Rodereich was threatening someone else. My safety and well-being wasn't the only thing in question now. I had to get to the bottom of this. I hated to do it, but I was going to have to play nice if I wanted to get any more information out of that arsehole. Rodereich always lived up to his threats; I couldn't take any risks.

Rodereich: Call me.

Me: Excuse you?

Me: You're not making any sense?

Rodereich: The solution is simple.

Rodereich: Call me and I'll explain everything.

Rodereich: You have ten minutes.

Me: Enough with these games!

Rodereich: Tick tock, Gillian.

Rodereich: You, my dear, have a very important decision to make.

Rodereich: I suggest that you hurry up.

I didn't respond to Rodereich after that. I knew what I had to do. I was going to call him. I had no other choice. He wasn't just threatening me. He was threatening someone else. Why? Because I was stupid enough to pick a fight with him. This was my fault and I needed to own up to the consequences of my actions. I pressed my face against Matt's shoulder and bit down on my lip. I could already feel my anxiety rising. Things had never escalated this far. Sure, every now and then I responded to Rodereich's texts, but I've never actually spoken to him over the phone. Hearing the sound of his voice would surely throw me off. Rodereich knew that I was secretly terrified of him. He's wrecked my confidence and reputation before, and I wouldn't rule him out from doing it again. I hated this man. Just the thought of him sent chills running up my spine. I clenched my teeth and had half the mind to hiss like a cat who had just been spooked. Whatever Rodereich had to say, it couldn't be good. I just knew it.

Matt shifted in his sleep. His eyes fluttered open and he groaned. "Gillian?" he murmured. I nuzzled my head against his chest and softly cooed for him to go back to sleep. He reluctantly obliged. I unwrapped the blanket from my waist and stood up from the couch. Matt protested. I bent over and gave him a placating kiss, promising that I would be right back. Unfortunately for me, that wasn't enough for him. With a smirk, Matt grabbed onto my wrist and tugged me forward. I gracelessly fell into his lap.

Matt chuckled. "Who said that you could leave me?" he whispered. My heart pounded in my chest. Time was ticking. I had to think of something and fast.

I sat up and moved into a much less compromising position. I was still straddling him, but at least my face wasn't pressed up against his crotch. I cupped a hand to his face and purred. I owed my performance to the darkness of the room. Matt couldn't see the strain on my face or the tears that welled at the corners of my eyes. I tried my best not to tremble. It didn't work. I've never been able to pull anything past Matt. Not for that long anyhow.

"Baby, you're trembling. Are you cold?" Matt's grin was instantaneous. "Want me to warm you up?" I spluttered and quickly found myself trapped in one of his bear hugs. I prayed to every God imaginable that he wouldn't be able to hear my racing heartrate. I craned my neck to look up at him. I raised a finger and traced it along the corner of his mouth. Matt took the hint and rushed down to meet my lips. I parted open my mouth and let him take the lead. It was a lazy, sloppy kiss that didn't last for very long.

I pressed my face into his collar bone and let him tuck his chin over my head. All the while I was frantically keeping track of how much time I had. Five minutes. I still had five minutes to call Rodereich before his deadline passed. It was more than enough time to come up with an excuse. "Why don't you go back to sleep?" I cooed.

Matt hummed in agreement. "As long as we stay like this."

I shook my head and giggled. "At least let me use the washroom first."

Matt grudgingly unwrapped his arms from my waist. "Fine, but be quick. Wouldn't want you to get hypothermia," he winked. I didn't have the heart to tell him that the heat was back on. He was still too sleepy to think coherently. I grinned and teasingly flicked him in the forehead. He half-heartedly growled at me. Sleep kicked in not long after and he let his eyelids fall shut. I took a few steps forward, careful not to make too much noise.

I waited until I heard the reassuring sound of his soft snoring before I snuck over to the front door. I reached for the door knob. My breath hitched. I looked back at Matt. The peaceful expression on his face ate away at my conscience. I was lying to him and I hated it. Matt would surely disapprove of what I was about to do, but I couldn't risk not calling Rodereich. Too much was on the line.

Slowly, I twisted open the door knob. The door creaked, and I paused. My ears pounded. Thankfully, Matt was still fast asleep. I swung open the door and was careful to quietly shut it after me. Each creak and groan of protest only added to my already growing anxiety. I blinked out black spots from my vision. The bright lighting of the outside hallway stung my unadjusted eyes. I had been sitting in total darkness for close to five hours now. I pulled out my phone from the front pocket of my hoodie. My pupils dilated and my hands wouldn't stop shaking. I nearly dropped the phone as I fumbled to press all the right buttons. I leaned against the cement wall, pressed the phone to my ear, and closed my eyes. One ring; no answer. Two rings; no answer. I grit my teeth. The bastard was doing this just to drive me off the wall; literally.

Rodereich picked up on the third ring. "Good evening, Gillian." My blood ran cold at the sound of his voice. It was like the purring of a car engine. People often mistook Rodereich as charming, when in fact, he was quite the opposite. This was the voice of a conniving, manipulative psychopath who held no empathy for others. I couldn't let my guard down.

"What do you want?" I growled.

"Tsk!" Rodereich tutted. "Poor manners as always. I shouldn't be so surprised."

I clenched my free hand into a fist. I was done with his pleasantries. I wouldn't let him string me along anymore. I wasn't his puppet to direct. I never was and never would be. "I don't have all night, Roddy," I hummed, biting my lip so hard that I tasted blood. "Now are you going to give me an explanation or what?"

Rodereich inhaled sharply. I took some satisfaction out of his reaction. But I also knew that I couldn't press him too much. Whether I liked it or not, Rodereich was the one who held most if not all of the power over this situation.

Rodereich chuckled airily, causing my stomach to lurch with unease. "Silly, Gillian. I'm afraid that I'll be the one calling the shots here. Unlike you, I have the entire night at my discretion. I'll keep you here as long as I damn well please."

What I did next was extremely stupid. I hung up the phone. I needed to let him know that it was my choice to call him. He wasn't keeping me anywhere. At least, not for that long anyways. I still had Matt to get back to. I couldn't let this call drag on too much. I intended to make Rodereich blunt with anger. This way he would get to the point much quicker. I knew that what I was doing was dangerous, but it was the only way to balance my ticking timeline. I waited a mere 30 seconds before my phone rang with an incoming call. I inhaled deeply. Round two of scary phone talk. I'm practically quivering with excitement.

"Hello~?" I sang.

"Listen, you bitch," Rodereich hissed. "It's about time that you learned your place. You better be on your best behaviour, otherwise, I'll be inclined to do something very, very rash." His breathing had become laboured and heavy. I could tell that his anger was growing, and very quickly at that.

I didn't respond. I knew that he wasn't done speaking. I feigned my submission and remained silent. Every fiber of my being screamed at me to fight back. I stifled those thoughts by picturing the faces of all of those close to me. Rodereich had enough power to hurt them. Perhaps not directly, but he had his ways. It was in my best interest not to lash out, no matter how badly that I wanted to do so.

"Much better," Rodereich snidely remarked. "I see that you've finally come to your senses."

I swallowed back the bile rising at the back of my throat.

"From now on, I'll ask and you answer. Do I make myself clear?"

I sighed and muttered my agreement. This was the only way that Rodereich would tell me anything.

"Splendid. Are you still dating that boy?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to break up with him?"

Blood from my lower lip trickled into my mouth. The taste of iron and the sound of Rodereich's sickening voice was not a very pleasant combination to experience. "No."

"Oh, but you will. That is, of course, if you want your darling little brother to do well in school."

"You bastard!" I screamed. "You keep Lud out of this! He didn't do anything!"

"Keep out of this? My dear, I've been in this before you were even aware of it. Who do you think was the one who signed your brother's recommendation letter? Why, without me, Lud couldn't have possibly made it to New York."

"That's bullshit and you know it!" I seethed. "Lud was chosen for that trip because of his grades! Several teachers recommended him for that position!"

"And what of my opinion as the 'beloved' student council president? I was the one who had to pile through and organize the applications. It gets quite tedious and tiresome at times. Perhaps I should just make it easier for myself and throw a whole lot of them into the scrap bin. Hmmm….come to think of it, that doesn't sound like such a bad idea…?"

I felt like pulling my hair out. It wasn't just Lud who Rodereich was threating. He was now bringing Felicia and Kiku into this as well.

My voice lowered into a dangerous tone. I was beyond livid. "Threaten me all you want. But don't you dare bring anyone else into this."

"You're in no position to be giving me orders. But, as I do consider myself to be a reasonable, fair- minded individual, I will give you a choice. Break up with your boyfriend and I will abstain from interfering. You're mine, Gillian. And I have just about had it up to here with your stubbornness over the matter."

"I belong to myself!" I shrieked. "I was never yours in the first place, you lunatic!"

CLICK!

I hung up the phone only to answer it again thirty seconds later.

"Your threats mean nothing to me!" I screeched.

"Oh, but you know that they do…"

"You'll come around…eventually…"

"Like hell I will!"

Rodereich chuckled in an attempt to sway my mind. I, on the other hand, was having none of it.

"I suppose that I have no choice but to interfere now…"

"I'm sure that I'll manage just fine!" I snapped, hanging up the phone. There was some truth in my words. If I played my cards right, Lud, Felicia, and Kiku would be just fine. All I had to do was sneak into the room where all the applications were held. I've snuck in there before. Doing it again would be easy, and just to spite Rodereich I'd put several of their applications in there. That way, the principal would scold him for not filing them properly. There were ways to skirt around Roderich's threats. He wasn't as powerful as he thought he was, despite him trying to persuade me into thinking otherwise.

I took a deep breath and urged myself to hold on. My knees wobbled and my vision became dizzy. The constant ringing of my cell phone aggravated my pounding headache. My breathing was shallow. The ringing stopped for the time being. It's just a guess, but I'm almost certain that Rodereich would be throwing a hissy fit right about now. I swallowed and turned around to step back into my apartment. My eyes widened into saucers when I realized that Matt was standing there, his arms crossed as he leaned up against the wooden doorframe. The sharp look in his violet eyes told me that he had heard this entire exchange.

I faltered under his gaze. "I…I… didn't know what to do. He wouldn't leave me alone…" I mumbled.

Matt shook his head at me in disbelief. "So your only solution was to call him?" he asked. The disappointment on his face was heart breaking. My lips trembled. I bit down on the sob rising up in my chest. Matt simpered and dropped his harsh gaze. "Oh, Gillian," he muttered. "What am I going to do with you?"

I felt terrible. I opened my mouth in apology. The ring of my phone beat me to the chase, however. Matt's fatigue wore off. His expression became more far more alert. He looked furious. I began to stutter when he held out an expectant hand in front of me. "N-no…it's not going to help," I pleaded. Matt didn't drop his gaze. After the third ring, I relented and handed him the phone.

Matt's jaw tensed as he pressed the phone to his ear and answered it. He spoke with a sharp and curt tone of voice. I winced at the very sound of it. It wasn't at all like the friendly, jovial tone that I had become so well accustomed to.

"Hello, this is Gillian's boyfriend speaking here," he snapped. "You've caused her enough trouble and it'd be in your best interest to stop whatever the hell it is that you're doing. This is the one and only warning that I'll ever give to you. Call her again and I won't hesitate to get the cops involved."

Matt snapped the phone shut before Rodereich had any chance to respond. I didn't know what to feel. Could one feel terrified and relieved at the same time? Because that's exactly how I felt right now. Matt's arms wrapped around my waist. I numbly let my head fall against his shoulder. He kissed the top of my head and murmured sweet nothings into my ear. I let myself relax, the real type of relaxing. For once, I wasn't worried about Rodereich. I had Matt right here with me and that's all that mattered in the end.

..

I couldn't have been more wrong. This was only the beginning. It wouldn't just be petty texts anymore. Roderich's obsession with me had turned into something much, much bigger. Oh God, I didn't have a clue.

…

Elizabeta's POV: (earlier that day)

I decided to visit Rodereich's house this afternoon. Today was the last day of exams and I thought that it would be nice to surprise him with a visit. I know full well that what I was doing was risky. His temper and overall patience has been very thin as of late. He's been much more distanced than usual. I couldn't help but worry. The stress of exams must have really gotten to him. You see, Rodereich worked according to a schedule, which meant that he balanced his time very carefully. Time put aside for studying and hosting student council meetings took up most of his day. I was more of an afterthought. I didn't get to spend any real time with him. Sure, we spent our lunch breaks together, but we didn't really speak all that much. Too many people sat with us during that time. Hmmm. He still sent me good morning/ good night texts at least. Not to mention the fact that he checks up on me multiple times a day. I've always found that to be really sweet. It's nice to know that he cares. All I wanted to do was reciprocate that feeling. Surely there's nothing wrong with that, right?

His parents showed me into his room. As always, they were kind and very welcoming. Rodereich was giving a piano lesson down in the basement. He would be done in half an hour's time. This gave me some time of my own to let my mind run wild. Events from the past few weeks blurred together. My face burned with embarrassment. It infuriated me to know that I had let Gillian get under my skin again. As if that bitch didn't already make my life hard enough as it was. I now know that Rodereich had always been right about her. I just never thought that she would have done something to me like that. I used to call that girl my best friend. At one point I had even considered her to be my sister.

Over the course of our friendship, Gillian and I had had our fair share of fights. I've always been a bit jealous of her ability to attract the attention of others. Her boisterous personality and wide, goofy smile had earned her a good reputation in the school. She was a natural people pleaser; everyone liked her and she liked them right back. She flaunted her way around life and got everything that she wanted. She was talented at almost everything that she did. Back when we were friends, I tried my best to act happy for her, and to a certain degree, I genuinely was. I trusted and loved Gillian.

Rodereich, on the other hand, had been skeptical of her from the very beginning. From what I understand, Rodereich and Gillian had never gotten along, even in preschool. Back then, I had tried my best to placate the both of them. I wanted them to like each other. I wanted us to all be friends and to get along. Unfortunately, God wasn't kind enough to grant me my wish. Everything took a turn for the worse at a house party last winter. Gillian was hammered as usual with an excessive amount of beer. At some point, I had lost track of where they both were. There were lots of people at the party and the music was blaringly loud.

And then there was the screaming. I remember it so vividly. I remember Gillian stumbling out into the living room. She looked at me with wide, pleading eyes, mumbling "I'm sorry" and "I tried to stop him." Her lies didn't fool me in the slightest, however. Rodereich had already told me what had happened between the two of them. I didn't bother to listen to her excuses. Rather than feeling, I acted. I slapped Gillian with the force of every ounce of frustration that I had ever felt towards her. My best friend had tried to sleep with my boyfriend. I couldn't believe it. I had never felt so betrayed in my life. My whole world stopped. The one and only good thing that I had going for me had almost been taken away. Rodereich was mine.

All my life, I had shared the spotlight with her. I lurked in the shadows of her giant, egotistical footsteps. Rodereich was the first person who saw me as something more in his eyes. He believed in me and pushed me to work harder in school. He woke me up from my own foolishness. Pranking people and wrestling was childish. It wouldn't get me anywhere in life. He paved the way for my success, and being the slut that she was, Gillian just had to ruin and tear everything apart.

Rodereich was never the same after that night. He had been completely devastated; he was broken. It was a long time before he opened up to me again. Eventually, he told me what had happened in more detail. I remember feeling revolted all over again. Rodereich, of course, had protested to her advances, but Gillian had never been one to take no for an answer. Rodereich didn't have much of a choice. He shoved her away, but this type of reasoning didn't reassure him in the slightest. He was still disgusted over the fact that he had harmed a woman. I begged and pleaded with him. It wasn't his fault. It never was. I then became very angry. Gillian didn't come back to school after that. She hid from her mistakes and neglected to face the consequences of her actions. Several times she had tried to call me and apologize. I absolutely refused to speak with her. If she couldn't face me in person, then she wouldn't face me at all.

In fact, Gillian didn't return back to school at all last year. And so, when she made her appearance at the beginning of this school year, I couldn't help but lash out at her. The anger that I had repressed for so long had come back to me in full swing. I wanted to make sure that she paid for her actions. I wouldn't let her escape from me this time. I wanted her to know and to truly believe that she was a shitty person. I was and am still very resentful and bitter over what had happened at that party. Call me childish all you want. Gillian didn't ask for the attention. That bitch had practically screamed for it, and I was more than happy to give it to her.

I'll admit, our last fight did get a bit out of hand. Rodereich hadn't been very pleased with me about that incident either. He berated and scolded me for my actions, writing them off as immature, and I couldn't have agreed more. I felt terrible. I could tell that the whole situation with Gillian still bothered him. I wanted to make things up to him, to please him and ease his worries. I worked extra hard when it came to studying for my exams. I just hope that my efforts paid off in the end. I wanted Rodereich to be proud of me. I despised feeling like a burden. A good girlfriend should be there to soothe her boyfriend, not stress him out.

I stepped into Rodereich's bedroom and gulped nervously. Everything was spick and span, and I've always had a nasty habit of making a mess. I looked at his computer desk. His laptop was open and his cell phone was placed right next to it. I had to remind myself that I wasn't allowed to go anywhere near there. I then looked to his bed. The burgundy covers were impeccably pulled over all four corners of the mattress. The lack of creases on the comforter made me wary to sit on it. I unconsciously rubbed at my wrists. I had to be very careful with what I was doing here. It only took one mistake to set him off. I looked to my left. His violin case was leaning up against the glass doors of his closet. It was best not to go anywhere near there as well.

In the end, I had no choice but to sit at his desk. I gently twisted the swivel chair back and forth with my hips. I let my backpack rest in my lap. I didn't know where else to put it. The floor certainly wasn't a viable option. I hummed to myself and tried to suppress my peaking curiosity. Rodereich's been very touchy about his phone lately, and I've been too scared to ask him about who he's texting. All I know is that he's been very worked up about it.

To help pass the time, I fumbled with the buttons of my white blouse. I had to make sure that they were clasped shut. I then smoothed my hands over the rough material of my black pencil skirt. I sighed out of relief when I realized that there weren't any visible wrinkles. The creak of footsteps could be heard. The door opened and Rodereich padded into the room. I turned around in the swivel chair. I immediately considered turning back around. Rodereich looked furious. He carefully closed the door behind him. I silently trembled in my seat.

Rodereich spoke slowly, agonizingly so. "What did I say about going near my computer?" he growled. I grimaced. Again with the computer. I don't understand! We're supposed to be partners, and partners certainly don't keep secrets from each other. It bugged me how secretive he was. I wanted to experience everything with him, but he would never let me do so!

It hurt to be shoved to the side like that. All I wanted was the best for him. Screw privacy. I didn't care about that. I let him look through my phone whenever he wanted to. I had nothing to hide. We used to tell each other everything. But now, I stayed only in the hopes of finding my real, beloved Roderich, my true boyfriend, the one that I had originally fallen in love with. I was determined to help him get through this tough time in his life. I loved him with all my heart. Every day I prayed that he would open up to me again, and that's exactly the reason why I was here today. I came here to support him. To be the shoulder that he could lean on. I didn't care about the risks. If I showed him that I cared, he couldn't possibly push me away. Or so I had thought…

I stood up from my seat, letting my fear and worry get the best of me. My bag dropped to the ground with a loud crash. I winced. Rodereich almost lost it right there and then. His eyebrows and lips twitched with irritation. I took a hesitant step forward. "I-I didn't know where else to sit," I whispered in a breathless voice.

"There's a reason for that," he hissed. "I don't remember giving you permission to come over today." I hated seeing him like this. His sweet, lavender eyes narrowed into an unfamiliar scowl. It didn't suit him at all. My poor Rodereich. What has Gillian done to you? How selfish of her to take you away from me. Darling, please, come back to me. I miss you…

"I-I was worried," I stammered. "You've been wearing yourself thin over the past couple of weeks. I wanted to help you rela-"

Rodereich cut me off. He stepped forward and my vision blacked out. The echo of the slap registered only when my head thudded against the carpeted ground. My hair fell into my face. My eyes burned and stung with fresh tears. I quelled them back and shivered in place. I didn't dare to get up. I didn't have the strength to. I wept silently to myself and pleaded for God's mercy. I had never asked for this. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. There was no getting through to Rodereich when he was like this, when he was angry beyond reason. All I could do was lay there on the ground, paralyzed. My wrists stung. The ghost sensation of him grabbing me had caused yet another involuntary wince on my part. I buried my face deep into the carpet. I was ashamed of myself. I was pathetic and weak and completely undeserving of his time.

"Are you insinuating that I can't handle myself?" Rodereich spoke, inhaling through his nostrils.

"N-no!" I wept, my shoulders shaking. "I only wanted to make you happy…" Rodereich sighed. I could hear him pacing back and forth across his room, silently cursing to himself in German. I sat up and crossed my legs. I held perfect posture and kept my eyes trained on the ground. I only spared him a glance when his back was turned to me. He took off his glasses and set them down on the desk. His hair stuck up in odd places when he raked a rigid hand through it. He was losing his composure. There was no pretending in his room. This was the real Rodereich. The angry, bitter, and hurting person who I loved and only wanted to help.

I didn't realize that Rodereich was looming over me. He cleared his throat. "Get up," he ordered. I complied in an instant. He grabbed my wrist and a flare of pain shot up my arm. I still had a fresh bruise from the other day. I shook my head and steered myself away from those irrelevant thoughts. I was perfectly fine. Rodereich sat on the foot of his bed. He guided me down to sit on his lap. His arms wrapped around my waist and his nose brushed up against the crook of my neck. "You know better than to surprise me like this," he quipped. I leaned into his embrace and tried my best not to wince. He was still angry at me. I could hear it in his voice. My hands shook when he intertwined his long elegant fingers with my short, stubby ones.

Tears sprang at the corners of my eyes again. He was right. I should have known better. I knew his triggers. I knew what made him angry, and yet I still hadn't learned my lesson. What had happened just now wasn't his fault. It was mine. I had caused his anger, and it was about time that I owned up to it. I squeezed my eyes shut and ignored the stinging sensation in my left cheek.

I opened my mouth and swallowed the large lump resting at the back of my throat. Two words and I would forgive him entirely. "I'm sorry," I whimpered. Rodereich kissed the back of my head. I felt a sudden itch, or rather urge, to rub at my wrists. It was a habit that I did out of nervousness. I loved Rodereich with every fiber of my being. I couldn't possibly leave him. He needed me. He had never meant to hurt me. He hurt me because he was hurting himself. I didn't have it in my heart to blame him. It wouldn't be fair for me to do so. He's helped me through so much. The least that I could do was stand by his side.

Rodereich's arms tightened around my waist. "You said that last time," he snapped.

I bowed my head. My hair swept in front of my face again. I let it bury and stow away the guilt and shame that I felt over the matter. Tears finally streaked down my face. Rodereich inhaled sharply. He used his sleeves to wipe away at my tears. "Oh Elizabeta," he chided. "What am I going to do with you?" His voice was gentle, but strained. I must have finally gotten through to him. He almost sounded like Rodereich, my Rodereich.

But at the end of the day, I was still dating a complete stranger. Gillian took away everything from me. I paid for her selfishness every day. Everything around me was broken and crumbling right before my very eyes. I don't know who I hated more. Gillian or myself. I clasped my lips shut to stifle a disbelieving giggle. I'm not being honest here. The answer to my previous question is obviously the latter. Go figure. That's what I get for failing Rodereich. I was a disappointment. A useless nobody who didn't have anything good going for her. It's no wonder that Rodereich blames me for everything. He had never proven me wrong before.

Why start now?

To be continued...

A/N: I think it's really important to make it clear that I am NOT romanticizing Rodereich and Elizabeta's relationship in anyway shape or form. Rodereich is an abusive and manipulative partner. This isn't a normal, healthy relationship. It's destructive, harmful, and misinformed (just to clarify, I mean confused) on Elizabeta's part. A key thing that an aggressor will always do is try to diffuse the blame onto others. "You know my triggers" "You provoked me" "You should have known better." He's a psychopath, there's really no other way of putting it.

I hope to see you guys next time.

-Ella