Happy New Year!

Don't hate me for this chapter. It might raise questions, but I promise they'll be answered in the coming chapters. This one is a little tense, but don't worry...it's cute too. I hope you guys like it!

The bell signaled the end of the week and the beginning of the weekend. Students piled out of their classrooms ready to enjoy the much needed break from the monotony of the strict structure of public school. A few clubs were meeting causing some students to walk against the flow of traffic. Kids were finding their friends, ready for a much needed movie after school.

Isabella hurried her way to the front of the school, her eyes peeled for JJ. He'd promised he'd be here right after school ended. She chewed her lip, glancing at her phone for a text or call. She didn't want Mr. Maduex leaving before she had a chance to prove to him she hadn't been lying. This was also going to be the best meeting of the JJ's Girls school club. She really hoped he had a good time. She had made them all promise to behave and not be weird, reminding them he was a sixteen year old kid just like themselves. Still, part of her was nervous that wouldn't be the case.

Suddenly she spotted him. He was smiling and talking to a group of students not far away. She took a minute to gather herself. They'd been texting nonstop for the past few days with calls sprinkled in, yet she still felt so nervous to see him. It wasn't the same as the first time, the excitement. No, she was worried what he'd think. Would he still think she was cool enough to be friends with? Or would he see her as a crazy fan girl who was using him. She hoped he still liked her. She prayed he'd like Chloe and Sophia and the other girls, but not too much. Wait? Where had that come from?

She made her way over, calling to him, waving. He looked up and smiled, waving to her and excusing himself from the group. To Isabella's surprise, he hugged her the second he could. It was nice. His arms were solid around her as they gave a quick squeeze. He pulled back and flashed a smile. His eyes were blocked by his reflective sunglasses. The red Canadian National Team jacket hung loosely from his body over a pair of black track pants.

"Isabella!" He greeted.

"Hey, JJ," she willed the blush away. "How are you?"

"Great!" He beamed. "This is really cool."

"Shall we?" she asked.

He nodded following her inside. He pushed his sunglasses on his head. Her heart skipped a beat at the action. He was so cool. Everything about it was perfect. She tried hard not to stare or be weird. They walked together, all the while JJ talking on and on about how the school looked so much like it does in movies. She wondered he'd really never been in a high school before. There was nothing particularly interesting about it, yet this guy was going on and on. She'd always thought homeschooling sounded amazing, but here he had her second guessing that thought.

"Oh my god, can I get a picture!?"

They turned to see one of the grade twelve girls with one of her friends. Isabella didn't know them well, but she recognized them. Isabella could have sworn she'd seen a strange look graze over JJ's face. It was only there for a moment. She could have imagined it, but still. She wondered what it must be like to grow up with that kind of attention. The fact that he was so excited over something so basic in almost every kid's existence in Canada seemed to speak volumes to her. Most kids viewed high school as horrible and he talked about how cool it was to actually get to be in one. A phone was forced into her hand, pulling her from her thoughts. She snapped a picture for them and handed back the phone. She was a little annoyed about them taking so long to talk to him. They were even getting him to sign things. She really needed to get him to Mr. Maduex before he left.

"JJ, we really need to go…" she pressed gently, her eyes lingering down the hallway at the door that was still open. Teachers were leaving, ready for their own days off.

"Oh, right, yeah. I'm sorry, ladies. So good to see you! Thank you so much for your support! It means so much." He smiled, waving at them.

"Bye, JJ! Thank you!" The girls called after them.

"Thank you," JJ muttered in her ear, his arm snaking around her shoulders.

"For what?" She looked at him concerned.

"Giving me an excuse to get away. I love my fans, it's just when they treat me like I'm not a normal kid…I don't know. It feels off." He shrugged and flashed her a smile. Maybe she had actually seen that look on his face after all?

They reached Mr. Maduex's classroom. Isabella poked her head it to make sure he was still there. He was sitting at this desk, a pen in hand with a stack of papers. He was probably grading the papers or test. Perfect! She knocked on the door gently.

"Pardon, Mr. Madeux? May I talk to you, please?"

The man looked up and nodded, putting his work to the side. She sent a glance to JJ who offered a smile. Isabella took a deep breath to calm her nerves before walking in. JJ held back for a moment like they'd planned. She didn't want it to be an ambush. Not right at first anyway. She approached the desk timidly.

"My parents told me that you'd called them and I feel like you still don't believe me that I did interview JJ Leroy and I wanted to prove to you that I did. I don't like people not believing me." She hugged her arms around herself. She had never been so assertive with a teacher before.

"I did speak with your parents about my concerns, yes, but it's not going to affect your grade, Miss Yang." He pushed his glasses up his nose. "Don't worry."

"Good afternoon!" JJ announced himself, strutting in easily.

Isabella smiled at him, her heart racing as he sent her a quick wink. She turned back to see Mr. Maduex's mouth hanging open slightly as he stared at JJ. His eyes were bugging from his head. It was an amusing sight. She wished she was brave enough to capture the moment. JJ let out a soft laugh and shook the man's hand.

"Pleasure to meet you, sir." JJ smiled. "I'm Jean Jacques Leroy. Call me JJ."

"Right, yes, hi. Mr. Maduex. What can I do for you?" The man stumbled over his words, standing up, scrambling.

"My good friend Isabella her has told me that there is some speculation on the assignment that she interviewed me for and I very much wanted to come clear up any misconceptions as Miss Yang is very smart and talented and quiet ambitious which I must say I do think we can agree is a very necessary trait for a journalist, wouldn't you say?"

There is was. That confident, flawless, groomed language he had used with her the first time they'd met. That body language was back that screamed professional. Shoulders squared, hands down at his sides. That polite smile plastered on his face like he was in front of the damn cameras she'd watched him on the past three years. How was he barely sixteen and able to just turn that on and off? She would be sixteen soon and she was not even close to having that pattern of speech or that word choice. Honestly, it was what she had expected in the beginning, but she much preferred his normal speech pattern that he used casually with her. It made it feel like she was talking to an actual teenager and much less like an adult. Mr. Madeux didn't even seem to have that professional speech pattern down. He seemed to be falling over himself at the sight. It was rather strange. She made a mental note to talk to JJ about it.

"Yes, yes, I do agree with you. I'm sorry that you had to come down to speak to me. But you have to understand, this sort of thing is very unexpected." Mr. Madeux was smoothing his shirt or drying his palms. Isabella really wasn't sure which one it was. It could be either.

"No problem at all, sir!" JJ beamed. "I just wanted to make sure that you knew she was telling the truth and is actually one of the better journalists I've ever worked with despite her not even halfway through grade ten."

"Yes, well thank you, Mr. Leroy." Mr. Madeux smiled, holding his hand out to shake it. JJ took it and smiled back.

"Please, JJ."

"JJ," Mr. Madeux's eyes fell to the floor. "I want to wish you good luck this season. Thank you for representing Canada."

"Thank you for the support!" JJ flashed his signature move and winked. He took Isabella by the hand. "Nice to meet you, sir! Have a wonderful weekend!"

"You too!" Mr. Madeux called as JJ pulled her out of the classroom.

There were actual lockers lining the walls. Real metal lockers with different kinds of locks hanging on them. JJ stared at them in wonder. He had thought it was just in movies. These were a bit smaller than he had seen in shows and stuff, but it was still so cool. He wondered how much stuff was actually in them. Were the lockers decorated? Maybe he could ask Isabella to show him hers! He wondered if they sounded the same. Did people really slip notes in lockers? Did they really meet at lockers and talk? Was that real? Did people really keep nasty things in their lockers? His list of questions went on.

"Do you think we can go get food after? Like we can get poutine or something and like maybe go to a movie or something? Like the group of us? Is that what people do? I think it'd be nice. I've never done that with anyone other than my family." He frowned.

Isabella looked at him, almost shocked before smiling and giving him a small nod. He smiled happily. Today was going to be great. He could feel it. He couldn't wait to go home and tell his parents how wrong they were about it being a bad idea. They meant well, he knew that, but the truth was they weren't up to date on the current state of affairs. A lot had changed since they were young. He couldn't imagine what it was like when they were young. How did they go to high school and compete? Actually, he knew a lot of skaters who did both. It was mind boggling. He could barely focus on lessons as he was. Jetlag was horrible. How did they cope? Maybe he'd ask them?

Isabella led JJ down a long corridor and to the last classroom before large glass panes that made up the back wall of the school. It reminded him of some of the skating rinks he'd been to, but not really what he'd imagined a school to be. He liked that they allowed in so much natural light and you could look out on the nice sunny day beyond the walls of the institution.

He could hear the girls' excited chatter, unable to make out any of the words. There was so much to take in. A group of boys were outside playing basketball on the open outdoor court. It looked like a lot of fun. He couldn't help but wonder what it was like to play basketball. He'd never been particularly interested. He was so hyperfocused on his own sport that it was easy to forget that other sports existed. Maybe he could ask them to teach him? Should he ask his dad first? One of the boys jumped into another sending them to the ground. On second thought...he'd rather not get hurt doing something he didn't enjoy. He wanted to be able to skate competitively as long as he could. He really didn't enjoy anything like he did figure skating. The rush of competitions was like no other feeling. But still he didn't think it would hurt to ask the boys if they would like to do something with him and Isabella's friends. He started to make his way toward the exit sign.

"JJ?" Isabella grabbed his hand. "Where are you going? Are you okay?" Her eyebrows were knit in concern.

"Oh, yeah, I'm great!" He flashed a smile, silently scolding himself. Focus!

"Okay, are you ready to meet my friends?" She asked, her eyes darting to the room.

"Sure!" He grinned following her in.

The girls went silent when as they walked in. All eyes glued to him. He shifted slightly. They were too quiet. He smiled and waved to them. Nobody said a word. A few of the girls' mouths were hanging open in shock. He wasn't used to this. He was used to people recognizing him, people saying hi, people wanting pictures. He was not used to being gawked at. Suddenly he was hyperaware of himself. He was sure he could feel every strand of hair on his head and his fingernails and toe nails. He rubbed his hands together trying to make the sensation stop.

"JJ, I'd like you to meet my best friends, Cloe and Sophia. And the rest of the group."

Isabella listed off the names and girls smiled as their name was called. They still didn't say a word. Isabella talked to them about something. He couldn't understand her. He just heard her. Why weren't they talking? Had they even blinked? He couldn't be sure. This wasn't what he'd been expecting. All he wanted was to make friends, not be made a spectacle. This was unnerving and honestly, it was making him mad. What made them think they could just stare at him? What made them think he wasn't a person? He was. He was a teenager just like them.

"Do you have anything you'd like to say?" Isabella nudged him.

"Huh? Um..." He cleared his throat. "Hi...I guess you know who I am." He took a deep breath and glanced at Isabella. She was chewing her lip, staring at her shoes. Why did she look so sad? He put his arm around her. "You are all so lucky to be friends with Isabella! She's great, huh?" He smiled.

"Yeah..." One of the girls, Cloe? muttered, side glance.

"Can we get pictures with you?" Another girl asked, squeezing her phone to her chest.

"Yeah, of course!" He smiled.

This he was used to. This he could do. It wasn't really what he'd wanted, but at least it was usual attention. He'd be lying if he said he didn't like getting attention. He smiled, did his thing, and signed stuff for the girls. None of them really had anything much to say. Just the usual. "I'm such a fan!" "You're amazing!" "You're so cute!" Things he was used to hearing. Honestly he had heard them so many times, he'd started to doubt whether the praise was sincere. It was lackluster. He really didn't care to hear things like that so often. He knew they were trying to be nice, but really what he wanted desperately were friends. His parents were often trying to teach him about time and place. And this is what they meant.

So he acted the part they wanted him to play. He listened to them ramble about how much they loved him. Smiled and thanked them. Took their gifts with enthusiastic thank yous. He must have signed over a hundred things. His hand and head were starting to hurt. He was relieved when Isabella took charge, saying it was enough and they needed to talk about something. He didn't know what. He didn't care.

He excused himself to the back of the room, pulling out his phone and headphones to listen to something to calm him just a bit. He hated the way his clothes felt against his skin at that moment. One of the overhead lights was flickering slightly. He hadn't noticed it when he'd first entered the room, but now it was annoying. Why wouldn't anyone fix it? Did they not notice? Did students really sit in this classroom all day and deal with that? He remembered kindergarten and how things like that always seemed so much more important than the alphabet.

He forced himself to close his eyes and focus on the music playing through his earbuds. The music for his senior debut free skate. It was a soft piece with beautiful layering. He could hear every instrument playing separately as well as together. It was beautiful. It was calming. He played the program over in his head. He really needed to practice. After this he was going to go. The thought of getting down his quads was exhilarating.

"JJ? Earth to JJ?" He lifted his eyes to see a couple of the girls had made their way back to talk to him. He sighed and flashed them a smile.

"Sorry?" The girls giggled, looking at each other. What was so funny? He glanced around the room trying to figure it out. Was it the weird posters on the wall?

"You were totally spaced out!" One of the laughed.

"And you've been like swaying back and forth for like ten minutes." Another pointed out. "Are you into the music or something?"

He froze for a moment. They noticed. He was doing it again. How could have forgotten? He let out a soft laugh, trying hard to keep himself from getting worked up. He stopped rocking feeling his heart race. He wasn't used to people calling him out for things he did. Not like this. He noticed Isabella was gone. Where was she?

"Oh my god, you're so fidgety! Are you nervous?" Another girl leaned forward onto the desk of the seat he was sitting in. Why was she so close? This close he could see the individual hairs of her eyebrows. He could make out the make up on her face. It didn't blend very well. It reminded him of his grandmothers and the old ladies at the nursing homes his family volunteered at. People shouldn't be this close. He could feel her breath on his skin.

"Can you..." He clenched his jaw, demanding himself to shut up. Don't make your fans upset. Was this what his parents were worried about? Was the why they told him he shouldn't be involved with his fans? This was kind of thing had never happened before. His fans were usually kind, jumping in for a moment before politely excusing themselves.

"Okay, I'm going to need you to stop shaking your leg, JJ. It's really distracting."

"Sorry, I...Where's Isabella?" He asked, standing up. He could feel this muscles tensing as he willed himself to be still. His body was screaming at him. But he couldn't be weird. He didn't want to be weird. He wanted them to like him and they didn't want him moving. So he forced himself to stand still. The screams were getting louder, his muscles aching to move.

"She had to step out for a minute. Her mom was calling her. So what's up with you two? Did she really interview you or was it a date?" Cloe smiled, her eyes blazing.

"She did." He confirmed. Why did she leave? He wanted her to be back. Maybe she could get them to stop. He swallowed hard, his eyes scanning the room. The door was so far away. Maybe if he could just inch closer? No. Stop. Calm down. His breath caught in his throat. The room felt like it was caving in. Why was it suddenly so hard to breathe?

"You're so nervous!" Another girl giggled, grabbing his arm. "Sit down, talk to us. We're just really interested in our best friend's love life."

Love life? Isabella had a love life? That was interesting. He wanted to know about that too. Did she have a boyfriend? Was she interested in anyone? He needed to ask. He made a mental note, repeating it in his head. He hoped she didn't have a boyfriend. He liked her very much. She was so pretty, so sweet. She talked to him like a person. He wanted to hug her and hold her hand and be able to touch her dark waves. She was so smart. She knew so much about everything. She wanted to go to Concordia. Gosh she was perfect. He needed to find her before he forgot to ask her.

"I really need to be going to practice..." He frowned.

"Nonsense! You can practice later." One of the girls pulled him closer to them. This was far too much.

"You need to stop." He stepped away from them. Was that mean? Maybe it was rude. Apologize. "I'm sorry." He muttered, pulling at his sleeves.

"Do you like Isabella?" Sophia crossed her arms. "Like...like like her."

Isabella. She was so nice. Where was she? He needed to talk to her. Maybe she could tell him more about Concordia. He'd lived in Montreal most of his life and didn't really know much about the school. It was a beautiful campus. Isabella belonged there.

"She's really nice. Where is she?"

"We already told you," Cloe rolled her eyes.

The words felt like he'd been struck. She was mad. Annoyed. He didn't meant to upset them. They were making him so uncomfortable. He just wanted to leave. He needed to find Isabella and he wanted to skate. If he could just escape. His eyes were glued to the door. Maybe if he thought it hard enough, she'd come back.

"Okay, but I don't remember what you said." He inched back towards the door.

"Her. Mom. Called." Another girl said loudly, separating the words.

"I said I didn't remember. I'm not deaf." He snapped. He couldn't hold back anymore. It was too much. They were too much. Why wouldn't they just let him leave? Why were they being so strange? Why were they being so mean?

"Keep up, kid," Sophia smirked.

That's when he saw it. The perfect escape. He hadn't even realized he'd been actually moving. There were no more desks between him and the door. He could leave. He could go find Isabella. If only he could stop shaking.

"Right. Well it was very nice to meet you ladies, but I really do need to be going. Thank you for the support! Season starts soon! So I need to go. You understand. You're kind of freaking me out, so bye." He waved before running out of the room.

Isabella stared at the text JJ had sent her. It didn't make sense. The words were so poorly spelled. Spaces and punctuation seemed to be almost thrown in at random. Something felt so wrong about it. Maybe she shouldn't have left him alone with the girls. She'd walked back to the classroom only to find it empty with a note on one of the desks telling her off. She didn't care about that now. She was worried about JJ. He had never sent a text like that and he wasn't answering his phone when she called.

She walked through the halls looking for him, asking anyone she saw which wasn't many. Nobody had seen him. She'd messed up. She knew she'd messed up. But she had told him she was leaving. She thought it would be okay. She couldn't have answered the call in the classroom. She knew for sure her friends would have made noise. She had to pretend she was staying for detention or she'd be grounded even longer and forced to go to her aunt and uncle's house which would more than likely, she'd be playing hostess at their restaurant. She did not want to do that.

She jumped at the chance to answer when her phone started buzzing in her hand. It was JJ. She felt some of the weight lift off her shoulders only to be replaced with more nerves. What if he was mad? What if he hated her? What if her friends had been less than professional?

"JJ? Hi. Are you okay? I'm so sorry!" She gushed.

"Hey...no, I'm okay. I'm sorry I left. I just...things got to be a little much, you know?" His voice sounded off. Strained? Shaky? It made her feel sick. That wasn't okay.

"I'm sorry. It's okay. Don't worry about it." She assured him, her voice gentle.

"Are you hungry?" He asked after a moment. "Would you come with me to eat? My treat."

Isabella paused. She wanted to say yes more than anything, but she was grounded. She really didn't want to before forced to work at the restaurant. It was boring and she had to deal with a lot of people who were less than kind. But she was starving. Her parents would be out late for a business dinner. They wouldn't know and this would be better than going home and being alone.

"Of course!" She smiled.

She met him in the front of the school. He jumped out of the car and walked around to open the door for her with a weak smile. She thanked him getting in. Her stomach growled loudly demanding food. She hadn't realized how hungry she had been with her worry. She smiled and leaned back she couldn't wait to get to the restaurant.

They drove in silence. Isabella gave up conversation early on in the trip. His mind seemed to be elsewhere. She wished they could put on some music. Something to make it less awkward. She didn't want to be on her phone and really she didn't know who she'd text. If that letter was any indication, her friends wanted nothing to do with her. They were convinced they were dating behind their back and that she was lying. They even went as far as to say that they felt like she was telling him lies to make him not like them. What happened? Everything had seemed to be going fine when she had left. She wanted to ask JJ, but his silence was impenetrable.

She breathed a sigh of relief when they got to their destination. JJ offered her a smile, his hands buried in the pockets of his jacket. They were seated quickly in a booth toward the back and gave their orders. JJ stared at the table, his body shaking ever so slightly. She chewed her lip, trying to ignore it not wanting to call him out on it. She hated doing that. It seemed so rude, so intrusive.

"I'm sorry," JJ mumbled, finally breaking the silence. "I'm not allowed to listen to music when I drive and my mind was somewhere else. I'm not ignoring you."

"Oh." She sat up. She hadn't been expecting that. Not allowed to listen to music? That sounded so silly. Her parents would probably make up the same ridiculous rules. She would probably break them. Why bother when they didn't make sense? Her parents weren't around, so how would they know? Did he seriously do eveyrhting his parents said? Was he really that kind of teenager? There was something endearing about it. She couldn't help but smile. "So you play by the rules, huh?" She asked jokingly.

"Well it's kind of a safety thing and my parents just want me to be safe, you know?" He sipped his water. "I have trouble concentrating on driving if there's music on so they made me promise I wouldn't."

"Oh?" She played with her straw.

"Yeah." He was quiet for a minute. "I don't like you friends."

Isabella blinked. It was so abrupt. So sudden. He looked like he regretted it the second the words fell out of his mouth. His eyes went wide, his fist pressed to his mouth. His eyes glistened almost like there were tears, but she didn't see any. Why would there be?

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I just…I sometimes say things before I think about it. I'm sorry. I take it back." He pleaded.

"Hey, it's okay. Don't worry about it. Why don't you like them? You can be honest. I'm not going to judge you or anything." She offered him a smile, reaching her hand across the table hoping he'd take it. After a moment he took it. She squeezed his hand. "Can you keep a secret?" He nodded. "I don't always like them either. They can be really mean. It's okay."

"Really?" His eyes were wide again.

"Yeah. You don't have to like people all the time." She took a sip of her drink. "And they obviously did something that's gotten you really shaken up. You've been so tense."

"I don't like the way they were treating me. I mean I'm used to fans asking for pictures and autographs and stuff. I like that. It's fun. But I don't like being stared at. I'm not used to that. It makes me uncomfortable. Like they can see everything. And they were being really forceful and I asked them to stop and they wouldn't. I don't like them. I'm sorry. I don't want to be friends with them. And while I'm at it I just have to say," His voices was getting louder as his speech sped up. "I thought today I could make more friends. I want to make friends. I thought maybe because you were so nice that they would be too, but no. I don't like your school. The lights flicker and there are uneven ceiling tiles and marks on the board that are so distracting."

"JJ," Isabella glanced around. People were sending concerned looks their way. He didn't stop. He kept going. She listened. He needed to get it out. She could tell as much. She hated that she had left them with him. Alone. He was so upset. He had hyped the day up so much. "JJ." She squeezed his hand.

"I'm sorry." He rubbed his face with his hands and went back to sipping his water. She could kill those girls. She had never seen him like this. Of course she only saw that public figure JJ. Rarely did she see the sixteen year old kid who wanted to make friends but was instead treated like something on display.

"It's okay. You're allowed to be upset. That's really awful. I'm so sorry." She pushed her hair behind her ear. "If it helps, high school isn't the easiest place in the world to be. Honestly I think the cold hands of death would be much more welcome." She chuckled softly so he didn't think she was seriously wanting to die.

"Do you want to hear about my program?" He asked, suddenly bucking up. Isabella nodded.

Their food came and JJ barely noticed. He was going on and on about the program, the jumps, the music, the footwork. His eyes were shining so bright. It made her heart swell. He was so passionate. There was something about the way people were when they talked about something they loved. It never lost its touch. She could listen for hours. They finished their meal slowly. Isabella enjoying listening to him. JJ happily talking throughout the meal.

"I'm sorry…am I talking too much?" His fist by him mouth once more.

"No, you're fine," she let out a soft laugh. "I actually really like listening to you talk about it. It's nice. Your eyes light up. I can tell you really like it."

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

The question caught her off guard. It wasn't even related to the subject. He was vibrating just a little faster now. Her heart fluttered. Did he like her? Is that why he was asking? She could feel the blush coming to her cheeks. She covered them with her hands trying to cover up the gesture as her just resting her face in her hands.

"I'm sorry. I just remembered it and I needed to ask you because your friends were talking to me about your love life and I started wondering is all."

"No." She studied him for a reaction. He turned his face toward the wall, his chin resting in his palm, knuckles hiding his mouth. She could see the smile in his eyes though and the way his cheeks lifted around his eyes. His cheeks were just a little more colorful.

"Okay," he smiled.

Her phone started vibrating in her pocket. Soft, persistent bursts. She pulled her phone out to check. Her heart sank when she saw the notifications blowing up with texts, all from the girls. Everything good drained from her. She knew what they were. The previews told her enough. She slipped her phone back in her pocket, trying hard to keep the tears back.

"Can you take me home?" She whispered.

Isabella was thankful for the silence. She didn't think she could talk without crying. She didn't know what to do. How could she handle this? What had she done? Should she even read the texts? Maybe she could just delete them? No. She needed to read them. Why did they blame her for JJ leaving? She played the image of JJ so shaken up. It brought tears to her eyes. She said a silent praise to whatever being was listening for the darkness of the night masking her tears from the boy sitting next to her. All she'd ever wanted was to meet him and now here she was and she couldn't even enjoy it.

JJ dropped her off, insisting on walking her to the door. She didn't see any lights on. There were no cars in the driveway. Her parents still weren't home. She didn't want them to come and see her hugging a boy they recognized, but she didn't protest. It'd be worth being stuck hostessing for free. They walked silently up the driveway to the door.

"Thank you…for everything." JJ whispered. "Can I hug you?"

"Of course," Isabella whispered back.

The feeling of his arms around her, his breath on her neck stayed with her as she sat in her room in the center of her bed. Her phone clenched in her hand. Should she read the texts? Maybe she could shower first? She slipped off the bed and into the shower hoping the find some clarity surrounded by the warm water. She didn't feel any better. She dressed quickly before turning her lights off. She would just delete them and go to sleep. Maybe watch some Netflix on her phone to help clear her mind.

She opened the messaging app to silence all notifications and delete the messages. Her eyes caught one. She had to read it. She had to see what they had to say. She felt sick reading them. They hated her. They literally hated her. Cloe and Sophia were promising to make her life hell. Threats to go to Twitter about her. She couldn't stop. They kept getting worse and worse. Isabella let the tears fall. She couldn't deal with this right now. She reduced to sobs. Why were they being so mean? Another buzzing. She felt sick as she unlocked her phone.

"I hope I didn't upset you tonight. I really love talking to you. Again soon? Are you okay?" JJ had texted her.

"No, you didn't do anything wrong! It was really nice to see you. Just some stupid drama. It's okay. I'm good. Definitely!" She responded, wiping away a few tears.

"Okay, good. Good night. Sleep well."

Isabella managed a smile through her tears, sending a quick reply before silencing the texts. She heard her parents come home. She pulled the blanket up around her, throwing her phone quickly to the bed side table. She turned to face away from the door so they wouldn't realize she'd been crying. She heard the soft tap on her door, a pause and then light flooding the room. She pretended to be asleep even as her mother's lips brushed her hair. She welcomed the soft good night from them both and the door was closed. She could feel herself drifting to sleep.

Thank you for reading! I hope you liked it! Leave a comment and tell me what you think! Questions, concerns, thoughts, feedback? All is welcome!