Jeff finally shoved his phone back in his pocket and then looked over at me. I was pulling on a loose thread on the hoodie he had given me and I jumped slightly when he pulled my hands away from the thread. He pulled me back into him and we just sat there for awhile. It wasn't until after the parents had ushered their children back to cars and the skateboarders decided it was too dark to practice tricks that I finally pulled away from him and moved back to my side of the car. He sighed, but nodded and started the car. I started texting Quinn, hoping she would answer soon.

I told Jeff… - Ellie

Like about last year…? - Q

Yeah. I figured if I was going to let him in, I might as well start with the hardest things. I didn't want to let him in and start off with easy things and then get to last year and be left in a puddle of tears. - Ellie

I doubt he would of done that. But how did he take it? And are you okay? I can come over if you need me to. - Q

He cried a little. It shocked me a little. I'm fine. Just worn out and everything. I think I'm just going to sleep or something once we get home. But I'll see you tomorrow. - Ellie

He cried? Oh my. He likes you a lot, Ellie. Oh, Coach Sylvester got Mitchell suspended. We tried to talk Nick into pressing charges against him, but he wouldn't do it. - Q

Good. Um, how many people know already? - Ellie

Just the Glee kids and the few football players. Sam and Puck are trying to take care of them so it won't get out to the whole school. - Q

So it'll be out by tomorrow. Great. Um, so I'll see you tomorrow. Night - Ellie

Yeah. Night. - Q

I shoved my phone in the pocket of Jeff's hoodie and sighed loudly as we pulled into the driveway. Nick was waiting on the front porch and a few lights were shining from inside the house, but it seemed as if my mom was already in bed for the night.

"I see Nick's waiting for me," Jeff said as he turned off the car. I laughed and nodded and shot a glance at my brother for a moment before looking back at Jeff. The moon was fully shining now and it made his blonde hair seem even brighter.

"Mitchell got suspended," I said as I looked back to Nick. He was tossing his phone between his hands, a small smile on his face.

"Good." He paused for a moment and looked over a Nick for a millisecond before turning back to me. "So how about instead of going out for coffee tomorrow night, we go to Westerville on Saturday. I can talk about me and we can try to not get found by Wes and David." I giggled, but agreed nonetheless. We both finally got out of the slowly cooling car and he stayed outside with Nick as I went in. I watched them through the window for a moment before grabbing a slice of cheese pizza that Nick had bought and going upstairs. After finishing the pizza and washing my face again, I crawled into bed, hoping to get a peaceful night of sleep.

The next morning, I groaned as my alarm went off. I slapped around for a few moments until I found the snooze button, hoping to relax for a few more minutes, but jus as I had relaxed and snuggled back into my blanket, my door opened and I was attacked by Nick. I grunted and tried to pry him away from me, mostly to no avail.

"Ugh, now I know why I liked you being away for school," I shouted as I finally got him off me. Jeff was chuckling from the doorway and I sent him my best glare before finally throwing the covers off me. Jeff smirked a little and then dragged a now standing Nick from my room. I closed and locked my door before going towards my attached bathroom. I maneuvered around the decorating I was doing before starting my shower.

I finished and dried off before starting on the tangles in my hair. I straightened my bangs and dried my hair on the lowest setting and then pulled it into a ponytail. I sprayed the finished product with some hairspray and got to work on my makeup.

I ate and then went back upstairs, brushing my teeth and then slipping into my uniform and then my sneakers. I glared at it for a few minutes when the pleats wouldn't smooth out, but finally smiled when they laid just right. I grabbed my book bag and duffle bag and then made my way back downstairs. Nick was in the kitchen, making our mom something for breakfast, while Jeff sat in the living room, a bowl of cereal in his hand, watching the morning news. I smiled at the site of him in a casual pair of jeans, a plain v-neck, and a checkered flannel.

"You're staring," Nick whispered into my ear as he went upstairs to wake our mom. I glared back at him before setting my things down by the door.

"Jeff," I said making him finally take his gaze off the television screen. "I need my keys." He searched through his pockets for a few minutes before finally producing them. I smiled at him and said bye before leaving the house.

I left the McFly CD in, letting it go through the songs and once at Quinn's it was on That Girl and I was smiling larger that I had in awhile.

"Well don't you look happy," Quinn commented as she got in and saw me smiling.

"I actually think I am," I said as I pulled out of her driveway.

"Is it Jeff?"

"Yeah. It is actually." She smiled at me and then turned to her cell phone. She started texting someone, most likely Sam, and the conversation was left at that. Sam was waiting near the spot I usually parked in and I watched as Quinn smiled at him. After she got out and had grabbed her bags, they were holding each other close and talking to each other. I smiled at my friends and finally turned my car off and got out. I collected my bags and fell into step with the couple as we made our way into the building. Sam, along with the other boys on the football team, had donned their football jerseys. Much like the other small towns of Ohio, Fridays were sacred to Lima because of the football games.

"Don't forget that we have a pep rally today," Quinn said right before leaving me at my locker.

"I won't," I shouted as she left with Sam. I sighed and reached into my book bag, taking out the books that I wouldn't need for the day because of the pep rally. I let it slam shut and then made my way towards my English class.

Once in there I opened things up and smiled slightly when I saw the envelope, noting that Jeff's handwriting was again on the front. I looked up and the clock and noted that I had five minutes before class, so I reached for it and started tearing it open.

Ellington,

I will start by saying this is going to be super rushed. You just went to bed and I want to slip this in your binder without you knowing. I want you to smile, at least just for a little while. I love your smile. It's beautiful and sincere. It's never there if you aren't truly happy or excited. So I hope I can make you smile today.

You are so brave, Ellie. When you asked if we could talk now instead of tomorrow night, I never expected you to lay that out there. But you did. You let everything from last year just come out and it was so brave. I can't say I like your past, but it's apart of you, so it's always going to be there, at least in a small way. I think it's made you stronger.

I sat out with Nick for awhile. We talked. He told me about what he was thinking last year when he found you passed out in the kitchen. He was so scared and I knew that if I had been there with him, I would have been in the same place. You truly are beautiful and perfect, Ellie. I don't know what any of us would have done if something worse would of happened.

So I have a proposition for you. I still need to talk to your mom about it, but here it goes. I know you're up for Westerville on Saturday, but what if we left after the game? We could stay at the apartment and we could get to know each other even more. Think about it and while you're at school, I'll talk to your mom.

I'll meet you on the field after the game.

Jeff.

I folded the letter back up as the warning bell rang and students started filing into the room. I stuffed it back into the envelope and then into the pocket just as our teacher walked into the room.

I made it through the classed and when Coach Sylvester called us out of classes, I met up with Quinn and we made our way to the gym. We practiced the routine a few times before Coach Sylvester dismissed us to the locker rooms for the time being. Quinn and I were the last ones in the room and we both groaned when we saw everyone just sitting around.

"Get up. We go out in a few minutes. Do last minutes stretches or something. No sitting around," Quinn yelled as we walked through the girls.

"Jeff wants us to go to Westerville tonight and stay at his and Nick's apartment," I said to Quinn as we made our way to our corner where we could see everything.

"Are you going to go," she asked as she let her eyes roam over Santana and Brittany.

"I might. I don't know. It just seems a little weird. I feel like everything is happening in super speed."

"That happens sometimes. It felt like that with me when Finn broke up with me for Rachel." We both sneered a little at her name, neither of us caring completely for the annoying girl.

"It's just, one minute I'm brushing past him and not really caring and now he wants us to go to Westerville for the night. And it literally has been two days since I brushed past him." She giggled and nodded, not actually responding because Coach Sylvester had walked in.

"Okay ladies, I expect everything to be perfect. Don't embarrass me," she screamed as the girls that were on the bottom layer of the pyramid filed at. She let the rest of the girls on the pyramid go before stopping us. "Make me proud girls." We smiled at her before walking out of the locker room. The screams and cheering were louder now than they had been as principal Figgins said our names over the microphone since we were both considered captains. We walked towards our spots in the front, hands our hips and smiles on our faces. We got into formation as the music started to play.

The cheering got even louder as we finished and stood in our last stunt. Quinn and I cradled off the top and the boys that were on the squad caught us and then we both ran around to the front. The football players were sitting in the front rows and Sam and Quinn shared a smiled as the rest of the Cheerios stood behind us. We were dismissed to sit near the boys and I gave a tight lipped smile to Puck when I sat down next to him and he threw an arm over my shoulder.

"Who was that prep school boy," he asked as he leaned in to me.

"One, don't call him that. Two, he's my brothers best friend," I said as I pushed his arm off me. Quinn was sitting in front of me with Sam beside her and they both sent me sympathetic smiles before turning back to the front. Puck just shrugged a little and then turned to his other side to talk to one of his friends. Once the pep rally was over, I made my way to my locker, smiling when I saw Jeff standing nearby.

"Can I help you, Mr. Sterling," I asked as I opened my locker. I started grabbing the few things that I would need for homework for the weekend.

"I was thinking we could go for an early dinner before the game," he said nonchalantly as he leaned against the locker next to mine. My phone buzzed and I looked at the message from Quinn before finally getting to answer him.

"Can't. Coach Sylvester just called for a practice for the game. You could come watch it though. Just as long as you aren't a distraction.

"May I," he asked while motioning to my book bag that I had yet to put on my back. I shrugged and handed it over to him and watched as he placed it on one shoulder. I handed my phone to him before leading him to the gym. "Your coach isn't even here…" We had entered the gym and sure enough, Coach Sylvester was no where to be seen.

"Yeah. Usually when she calls for these it's Quinn and I running them. Just try not to alert them that you're here." He nodded and sat down near the bottom of the bleachers. I tightened my ponytail as I made my way towards the girls, most importantly, Quinn. "Jeff's here," I whispered in her ear once I was next to her.

"Why," she asked as we started stretching. Most of us were still fine from the pep rally, but a few girls hadn't in the locker room when Quinn had told them to.

"He wanted to go for an early dinner before the game, but this was called." She nodded and looked over to the bleachers. Jeff was sitting there, his cell phone in his hand, most likely just having texted someone. The practice went by as smooth as it could have. At least it did until Santana had to start a fight with Quinn over the captain's spot. It happened weeks ago, it should have been history by now. I sighed as the fight finally stopped, Santana going towards the exit with Brittany. Quinn rubbed her fingers over her face and then tightened her ponytail.

"Okay," Quinn started as the girls started to going towards the exit. "Be here at five thirty, if you're late you won't be cheering." The squad left after that and we both sighed as we walked to the bleachers. "I'll see you at the game." She grabbed her duffle bag and then waved to us before leaving.

"Coffee," Jeff suggested as he joined me on the gym floor.

"It'll just make me kind of sleepy before the game," I said as I pulled my phone from his pocket. We left the gym and made our way through McKinley and I waved at the few Cheerios and football players that I saw. "Ugh, I hate Fridays." The wind had picked up since this morning and my Cheerios skirt was flying away from my body. Jeff chuckled as I started looking for my keys out of the bag that was hanging on his shoulder. "So not funny."

"It kind of is." I turned and glared at him after opening my trunk so my bags could go in. "Your mom said yes…" I turned towards him and just stared for a moment before finally remembering what she could have said yes to. I smiled up at him and nodded as we walked back towards the school. I sighed in relief once we were back in the building. "Where'd Quinn head off to?"

"Oh, Glee club. They do full performances on Fridays. And no, we're not going near there. You don't need ammunition for Regional's." He pouted a bit before smiling again.

Once it was a little before five thirty, I left Jeff and headed towards the locker room meeting up with Quinn past the choir room.

Our team won by a few points and I celebrated with the squad and the football team for a few minutes until I saw Jeff standing near Coach Sylvester.

"Quinn," I yelled over the madness. "I'm gonna go." She nodded and gave me a thumbs up before turning back to Sam. I ran over to where Jeff was standing, hearing the end of a sentence from my coach. She walked away from us, grabbing her megaphone as she passed it.

"Is she always that scary," he asked me as he pulled me into his chest. I welcomed the warmth and nodded into his chest. "Nick's coming down with a coat for you. I meant to bring it with me, but I forgot." I nodded again as I let myself sink into the his warmth. "Who's that?" He nodded towards Puck who was staring at us.

"Puck. He's our resident badass who actually has a heart sometimes."

"Kurt and Blaine were around somewhere, but it's been awhile since I saw them." I nodded into his chest, still trying to stay warm.

"Here, Elle," Nick said as he handed off a coat once he was next to us. I thanked him and slipped into it, missing Jeff's warmness. "See you guys." He walked off, falling into step next to our mom.

"I need to change before we go anywhere and I need to get some clothes."

"Okay then." He placed an arm around me and I leaned into his body as we made our way off the field.

This is a little slow in places and I really don't like it as well as I do the first two chapters. I guess it's good enough though.

So I'm going to write for a few days. I have a show that I'm taking pictures at on Saturday and then I leave with a few friends to go on a mini road trip to a Warped Tour date before one of my friends goes to basic training. I also have something that deals with my college stuff next week. So I'm going to busy. I might update if I can finish a chapter after I finish editing pictures from Saturday. But I doubt that will happen because I tend to take a lot. I also have to pack and everything for Warped Tour. Maybe an update later next week, but we'll see.

I got another subscriber. It's still surprising me because of Jeff not being a huge character. But I am glad about the two people subscribing, must mean you guys are liking it.

Subscribe and review. :D