A/N: Here's the fourth chapter in my Cougar Town book. Before we start, I just want to thank you guys again for all the support on all my other projects because it really means the world to me and I don't even think that I can find the words to express how truly grateful I am. I would also like to remind you guys, like the beg that you know me as, that I will always appreciate it if you check out, review and make suggestions for my Friends trilogy and the Cougar Town/Friends crossover fanfiction. With that being said, let's continue onto the chapter:
Chapter 4 – Jules
"So, are you planning on telling me about how things went with Andy?" I said, whilst lying on my side in bed facing Ellie.
"But there's nothing to tell you," Ellie mumbled into her duvet.
"You know that's a lie," I said, knowing that she was trying to bluff me into forgetting that she spent all afternoon and evening with Andy and how it's impossible that nothing went on between them. "You can't ignore the fact that you basically spent no time away from Andy yesterday and say that nothing happened."
Ellie rolled right over so she was facing the bedroom wall and not me, but then she cracked and turned back my way. "You're right," she said, defeated. I made a mental note of the fact that whenever Andy is the topic of conversation or in the situation that Ellie will always crack, just in case I ever need to make use of it. "I'll tell you everything, but it was seriously the best decision to go ahead and talk to him."
Smugly, I said that Ellie was welcome and she rolled her eyes but I could tell that she didn't truly mind. Since I was probably going to be in bed for a while, and the air conditioning had broken so you couldn't turn it off despite the fact that it is definitely fall, I got up and walked over to our wardrobe to search for a sweater. I grabbed the nearest one, tugged it over my head and got back into bed.
"I'm all ears," I said to Ellie, who had stayed rolled towards me.
{A/N: I feel like this is important to mention, especially if this chapter ends up being lousy at all, but there was original draft that I wrote for the beginning of this that was much better so certainly the beginning of this is just me trying to recreate what I remember so if it's really shit I'm so sorry}
"Slow down, child," she said. I didn't bother reacting because it would hold up hearing about them even more. "So we started chatting soon after you left and he was just so sweet and welcoming and honestly I just fell in love with him even more," Ellie said, and I could see from her lit up expression and body language that Andy was already bringing out Ellie's best side that she kept locked away from most people. "I tried to throw him off so many times about the fact that I loved him because you know how much I hate people and I was so nervous that his politeness was all an act, but he saw right through it and made me admit it."
I smiled so big when Ellie said that if anyone else had been in the room, I have no doubt that they would've assumed that it was me that we were talking about. In reality, I was just overwhelmingly glad that Andy had been enough of a gentleman to stick with Ellie, because it's true that Ellie did push away an awful lot of people that she doesn't deserve to at all. It proved to me, as the overprotective friend that I am, that he was a gentleman and in for the long haul with Ellie to really give her a chance.
"That's amazing," I say, making eye contact with Ellie so she could hopefully have seen how genuinely happy I was for her. "Seriously."
She smiled back at me, and I could see in her eyes that she was more grateful than she knew how to describe. "Anyways," she started saying again, "We decided that we would stay friends at first just to test the waters before becoming more serious, mainly because I was desperate not to lose the one chance that I have had at a decent relationship in so long, if not the only proper one."
"I see how well that went," I say, alluding to the rest of yesterday, and almost immediately regretting it.
"Do you want to hear my explanation for the rest of the day then or not?" Ellie says, adding to my regret. "Because I'm always happy to sit and argue with you instead."
I mimed sewing my mouth shut, and Ellie looked satisfied enough to continue. "We talked for longer just trying to get to know each other, but we had to cut it short to get back here for you and Joe not to worry about us. But both of us agreed that we just couldn't stop wanting to be around each other, which is why I kept on leaving and finally came in to sleep at 2am," she said, looking a little sheepish.
"What did you guys do whilst you were out together, then?" I probed, a just little surprised at how curious I was to know about every single thing that happened Andy and Ellie.
"Sorry to disappoint you," Ellie said. "But we really didn't do anything that interesting."
"Oh okay," I said, feeling like there was no point in inquiring further because all I wanted to know was that Andy was going to make her happy. "Ellie, in all fairness, all I really want to know is that he's just going to make you as happy as you are when you talk about him."
Ellie meets my eyes, and I can almost predict exactly what she is going to say next. "Jules, I know I'm not always the most agreeable or nice person, but the fact that more than anything you want me to be happy is why I can always count on you to be there for me."
I smile back, genuinely feeling the happiest I've ever been in so long. One of the biggest goals that I have always had in my life is to always try and give back to the people that I love, so it literally makes my day every time that I am successful. I realise that I am hungry after all this chatting because Ellie and I haven't yet had a chance to go and get breakfast.
"Do you wanna go get food?" I asked Ellie, unable to hide my desperation.
"But I have to get up," Ellie said, and then she took another look at me. "But I want food," she added, appearing to take my feelings into account as a favour in response to my support earlier.
I pushed away the duvet, and stood up to walk over to the wardrobe. I found the nearest sweater and a pair of jeans, and said, "Ellie, I'm using the en-suite, don't come in."
She groaned which I interpreted to mean that she had heard me. When I came back out of the bathroom, Ellie was still lying in bed.
"I thought you were going to start getting ready," I said, still feeling hungry but now disappointed and annoyed.
Ellie looked my way and flipped me off. I flashed her another warning look, and dragged her duvet off the bed. "Rude," Ellie mumbled under her breath, but she walked over to the wardrobe and started choosing clothes to wear.
"Are you happy now?" Ellie said, as she poked her head out of the bathroom door whilst holding a sweater in her arms.
I just rolled my eyes but sat back down on my bed to wait. I started considering places that Ellie and I could go and get lunch, as it was 10am and I knew that the canteen on campus stopped selling breakfast after 9am so that was completely out of the question. Starbucks was our best bet, even though their food was pretty terrible. I hoped that Ellie wasn't in one of her picky moods because otherwise that idea would go completely down the drain.
Ellie walked out of the bathroom, and I decided to tell her the plans.
"Since we are too late for the free food," I tell Ellie, and she doesn't look too bothered because I know that she knows that if there's money involved, she can get me to pay, "we'll have to go to the Starbucks and see what they have there."
Ellie shrugged. "Cool," she said, and heaved a sigh of relief because I could tell that she was going easy on me today and I appreciated that.
I grabbed my jacket, and started walking to the door to get the keys out of the lock. I undid the lock and Ellie walked up behind me. We both walked out the door, and I paused to lock it behind us. We walked to the stairway, and down towards the dorm room block entrance.
"Hey," I hear and look up. Ellie breathes in sharply and I follow her gaze to Andy.
"Hi, Andy," I say, trying to cover up for Ellie's awkwardness. "What you doing out here?"
I could see that he was trying to make eye contact with Ellie, and wasn't completely focused on what I was saying.
"The lesson I had today was cancelled," he replied, "and so I was on my way back to my room."
"Cool," I said, trying to subtly motion to Ellie that she should try and say something. "Ellie and I were on our way to go get lunch, as we both slept in." I laughed, trying to break the tension.
"Ellie," Andy said, finally plucking up the courage to directly address Ellie. "Do you want to hang out together at all today?"
Ellie looked slightly taken aback, but she decided to talk anyway. "Sure," she said. "So when are you free?"
"I should be asking you that," Andy said, "but I'm free all this afternoon again."
"I'll be there," Ellie said, with the same happy expression that she had started wearing in the presence of Andy.
"Awesome," Andy said, dodging past us as we met on the stairs and then continuing on up.
Ellie and I continued walking down the stairs in silence, out the door after she opened it for me. She never made a gesture like this usually to anyone, and so this was a very pleasant surprise. We walked together again in silence to the door of Starbucks.
"Do you know what you want?" I asked Ellie.
"I know my coffee order," Ellie answered, "But I'll have to look at the food on offer and get back to you."
I looked at the food in the display case in front of me, and decided that I wasn't in the mood for cake or pastries. I walked over to the cabinet beside the till, and looked at the selection of drinks and sandwiches. Ellie joined me, and we both decided on a ham and cheese sandwiches.
Ellie passed me her sandwich and went to wait for our coffees. I walked towards the till, and pushed the toasties towards the lady at the till.
"That will be $8, please," she said, and I handed over a $10 bill.
I walked back over to Ellie, who was now trying to balance both of our drinks and the napkins in her hands. I decided to take my drink from her to spread the load between us, and Ellie glanced at me appreciatively.
We both walked back out of the Starbucks and back to our dorm room. I sat down on my bed and started eating.
"Have you got plans whilst I'll be with Andy?" Ellie asked, and I nodded.
"I'll just be studying again," I said, taking a sip of coffee.
Ellie looked at me again as if she was unsure that I was being genuinely fine with the situation.
"I'm fine with it," I said, "if anything, it's actually better this way because I know that now I am definitely not going to fail any of my midterms with the amount of studying I'm getting done."
She chuckled, and I was so happy that because it was just another reminder to me of how happy she was, all because of Andy. We ate in silence and then Ellie announced that she was off to Andy's. "See you later," I called from my bed, as she shut the door behind herself as she walked out.
I jumped off my bed to rearrange the blanket as it had bunched itself up at the foot, and then walked over to the desk where I had left my textbooks, notepad and highlighters from yesterday. I tried to balance them all one of my arms to walk carefully back to the bed in one trip, but the highlighters slid off and fell on the floor. "Fucking hell!" I yelled, and then stood for a couple of seconds in surprise at how aggressive I had sounded over a pack of highlighters.
If Ellie had been here to witness this, I know that she would have said exactly how I was thinking. Despite knowing that she was only down the corridor, oddly I was already missing her. I think that's what happens when you are someone's only friend and spend 24/7 together, because I can barely stay angry or upset at Ellie without missing her.
I try and distract myself by trying to make the notes that I had already created less dull with the highlighters. Ellie always made fun whenever I tried to do anything vaguely creative but I usually countered her argument with the fact that she was no better than me so she had nothing to compare me with and she gave up because she couldn't stand to have me be right, which clearly mattered more to her than admitting defeat against me.
A/N: Here's the ending of this chapter, and I'm so sorry that it took so long to update. My updates being more sporadic will probably be a theme over the next month because this month is so busy but I hope that you guys will stick with me. I hope that you enjoy this new chapter and as always keep an eye out for any new books that I decide to create or chapter updates. Please also review this chapter and leave any constructive comments or suggestions of improvements I could make, and thank you so much for keeping going with me, it means the word that people still care about the random ideas that I come up with.