Chapter Twelve:

Voicemails and Nemo

"Hey, it's Phil again.." my voicemail box replayed. "Please talk to me, El. I want to explain. I just-" I clicked the end button on my phone, taking another huge bite of my veggie burger.

I heard a knock on my door. "Go away, Alana!" I yelled, throwing a pillow at the door.

"It's not Alana." Wei. "Can I come in?"

"Sure." Normally I'd get up and open the door myself, but I was too depressed to even move.

She stepped in cautiously, carrying a mug of her English tea. I sat up, and she took a seat beside me, handing me the tea. I took a careful sip so as not to burn myself. "You doing any better, love?"

I shook my head no.

"I remember when I lost my first love. I wouldn't get out of bed for weeks, not even to eat. And you know how much I love to eat." She gestured to her stomach, and I giggled. Wei couldn't have weighed more than 140 pounds. "Ah! A laugh and a smile!" She shouted triumphantly.

"I needed it."

"You also need to go out and live your life instead of locking yourself in your room all day." She nudged me. "Isn't there anyone you could spend time with?"

I nodded, remembering P.J.'s offer. "I actually do."

"Then go! Have fun! Don't let him keep you down! He's not worth it!"

I smiled, embracing Wei. "Thanks. Really."

"Think nothing of it. Just know that, no matter what, I love both of you girls very much." She left the room to tend to housework, and I texted P.J.

Hey P.J.! It's Elli. I was wondering if I could still take you up on that offer to be there for me.

Hey Elli! And yeah! Sounds great! Feeling down still?

Yeah, a little. I could really use a friend.

Be ready in 30 minutes. We're going to the cinema. (:

I threw my phone on my bed, already having given him the address, and miraculously got ready in the half hour he allowed me.

There was a knock on the front door, and I swung the door open, tucking my curls behind my ear. An icy-eyed boy smiled back at me.

"Ready?"

I nodded, and we headed out of the building and to the cinema.

As we stepped up to the ticket desk, P.J. announced, "Two for Finding Nemo, please." At this, I jumped up in glee and fistpumped the air. He looked oddly at me, then just laughed. The ticket-taker stared off in space in a begrudging manner and handed us the two tickets, looking like she hated her life. I would too if I was a ticket-taker at age 42.

Walking up to the concessions, I spotted some kind of gummy animals and begged for them. For some reason, I felt extremely comfortable around P.J., and so I was totally fine with him buying me things. Maybe because he was so similar to Dan and Phil. Phil...no! No thinking about him! I mentally slapped myself.

P.J. cocked a brow at me. "You doin' alright?"

I shook my head, clearing it of all negative thought. "Yeah. Just fine." I smiled reassuringly, and we headed into the dim-lit theatre, sitting down just in time for the beginning credits. I nommed on gummy animals and P.J. chomped on his popcorn. We cried when Nemo's mother died, busted out laughing when the fish tank fish performed their sacred ritual on Mount Wannahockaloogee, and sang as loudly as we could along to Just Keep Swimming. We received a lot of glares and shushing and even almost got kicked out, but we didn't care.

As we walked giggling out of the cinema, P.J. randomly stopped, staring off into space.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Bubbles..." he mumbled. Sure enough, I looked to where he was looking and, in a park across the street, dozens of kids were blowing bubbles. He grabbed my hand and pulled me across the street and into the bubbly atmosphere. I borrowed a wand from a little girl in golden pigtails, and P.J. and I blew bubbles together, marveling at their beauty for a good two hours when the sun began to set.

We walked along sidewalk all the way back to my apartment building, admiring the explosion of colors in the sky.

"This is kind of odd," P.J. spoke up, "but the colors of the sunset always remind me of the sun kissing the sky and making her blush or something."

I smiled."How poetic."

"Oh, I could never be a poet."

"I dunno. Maybe. P.J. the Poet. Sounds good to me." I nudged him with my elbow.

"Nah. Not my field at all."

We walked in silence the rest of the way.

As we approached the front door of the apartment building, I turned to P.J. to thank him for the wonderful time.

"No problem. but next time, you pay for me." He smiled and I laughed. As silence fell on us again, his face became more serious, and he stepped closer, leaning in. I almost let him, but at the last second, I had to pull away. He immediately began apologizing.

"It's okay," I reassured him. "I just...I can't...it's just...Phil, and-"

He understood. I could see it in his eyes. "You love him, don't you?"

And it was in that moment I realized I did. I really did love Phil. I loved the dorky way he laughed, I loved the crazy random faces he made, I loved how he said words differently from me because he's British, I loved how he'd hold me tight right when I needed it the most. And I couldn't, wouldn't lose that.

"Yes."

"He's a real lucky guy. He better treat you right from now on. But you should probably go talk, yeah?"

I nodded, kissing P.J. on the cheek. "Thank you. For everything."

"It's nothing. It's what friends are for."

I bid P.J. adieu and made my way up to Dan and Phil's apartment.

I had to fix things.

A/N: Awh. Poor P.J., getting rejected and all. But I looks like he made Elli realize her true feelings. :D I apologize if P.J. isn't exactly in character. I haven't watched as many of his videos as I have Dan and Phil's. Let me know whatcha think! I love you all! 3