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CHAPTER ONE: ELLA
This was a mistake.
I was such an idiot!
Why did I agree to this?
My hands gripped the sides of my narrow airplane seat as the aircraft descended into O’Hare International Airport.
Morgan sat beside me, agitated and tutting; she hated being late. The flight from LAX had been delayed by over an hour, and it was pure torture for her. She looked at her watch again, clicking her tongue and holding in another sigh; I could tell by the way her cheeks were puffing.
“We should have left a week ago.” She shook her head. “We've put so much pressure on ourselves now. Classes start tomorrow. You've completely missed orientation, you'll only just make registration, and you still have to get your stuff sorted out.” Her bottom lip protruded in an uncharacteristic pout. “Plus, I wanted to see Brad this afternoon.”
She pressed her lips together, trying to hold back her myriad of complaints. I knew she felt bad, and I didn't want to rub her nose in it, but she was my friend and I had to say something.
“Staying for your little sister's eighteenth birthday party was the right thing to do. Jody's my best friend; I wasn't going to miss it.”
Morgan conceded with an eye roll, her cheeks heating with color. “I know. I just wish the timing could have been better, that's all. Did she really have to celebrate on her actual birthday?”
I chuckled. “It's Jody, of course she did.”
Morgan flicked me a dry look, her lips twitching.
I turned to peek out the window. My new home lay beneath me; the vast, sprawling city of Chicago. A city I'd never set foot in. Most people would probably have been giddy with excitement, but I just felt scared. Not that I'd ever admit it to Morgan or David, but I saw absolutely nothing wrong with a degree from Pasadena Community College, and I didn’t know why I'd caved and agreed to apply to the University of Chicago! My boyfriend could be too persuasive sometimes. It was no surprise to anyone that he had his sights set on law school; he'd be an amazing lawyer.
I never expected to get into UChicago…and I certainly never expected to get awarded a partial scholarship. It was impossible to say no after that. So, after only one contented year at my little community college, I was shipping myself across the country to start a new life.
“It's only three years,” I mumbled to myself.
It was an attempt at comfort, but it fell flat. It wasn't just three years. If David got his way, which he always seemed to, I might never make it back to L.A.. The idea should have been liberating. L.A. held a lot of bad memories for me, but it also held Jody and a life that brought with it a certain sense of security.
“Why am I doing this?” My head whipped back to Morgan.
Her tense face relaxed as she squeezed my arm. “Because you're an intelligent woman who deserves this chance. Just think of your parents.”
That was the clincher. That's how they'd persuaded me to finally make the move. I hated them for bringing my parents into this, but David and Morgan were probably right.
“Besides, aren't you just so relieved to be out of your psychotic aunt's house? No more cats. No more anal reminders about how the towels should be hung just so. No more random rampages.”
I cringed, picturing my aunt as she rained a flurry of words over me, telling me how useless I was and how I never seemed to pull my weight around the house.
“I never asked to have you, Ella. The girls and I have had to sacrifice a lot to fit you into our lives. You should be grateful.”
The girls! Ugh. She was more in love with those damn cats than any human beings. I still couldn't believe that woman was related to my mother; it didn't seem possible.
I squeezed my eyes shut, pressing my head against the seat back. “Come on, Morgan. You know I practically moved into your place when you left. I spent more nights sleeping in your old bed than my own. I only went back on the nights Aunt Fiona had a sudden surge of guilt and dragged me home, because I was her responsibility.”
Morgan chuckled at the fake voice I was using. “I know you're not going to miss that.”
“I'll miss Jo-Jo, though.”
Morgan squeezed my arm, making me look at her. “I know. It's just been the two of you—no David, no me—and you guys had a blast, but it's gonna be okay. You need to spread your wings, Ella. It's time for you to fly.”
“I never asked to fly.”
“Oh stop it.” Morgan turned back to face the front, rubbing her ear as the plane drew closer to the ground.
Twenty minutes later, we landed with a soft bump and taxied toward the terminal. As soon as the wheels hit the tarmac, Morgan went into mother-mode. She'd been doing it since she was fourteen and had the whole deal down pat.
“Okay, so David said he'd pick us up. He better be there on time.”
“You know he will.”
“As soon as we get to the dorm, we'll drop our stuff and I'll quickly show you around the floor, but then I need to go find Brad. I hope that's okay. You don't mind unpacking on your own, do you?”
“I'll be okay. David said he'd give me a tour.”
“Make sure he takes you past registration. You need to be sure of where all your classes are. I don't want you getting lost on the first day.”
“I know. He'll definitely have to show me where my Monday classes are. I'm a bit nervous about that actually.”
“You'll be fine.” She brushed her hand through the air. “This is a big adventure, I know, but you can do this, sweets. You're gonna be awesome.”
I forced a tight smile, my cheek muscles straining.
Morgan chuckled then broke into a grin. It was her big beaming one, so I knew she wasn't thinking about David as she leaned toward me with a little squeal. “I can't believe we're gonna be roomies! Having spent my first two years with Boring Doreen and then a hideous year with Slutbag Susanna, I am so excited that my senior year will be with my kick-ass bestie. I've missed you so much. Jody's had you all to herself, and now it's my turn.”
I grinned; I couldn't help it. In spite of my trepidation, it was going to be cool living with Morgan again. We'd met when I was fifteen years old. Moving from Bellevue, Washington to Pasadena had been terrifying. As if my parents dying so suddenly hadn't been enough of a shock, I was then shipped off to live with Aunt Fiona. I wanted to die, literally, until I spotted a set of curious eyes watching me from her living room window. Without hesitation, she'd bounded out of the house and introduced herself.
Morgan Pritchett. She was two years my senior and her little sister was two years beneath me, but it didn't matter. By the end of my first month in Pasadena we'd become best friends and that status would never change. Mr. Pritchett called us the Terrible Trio, but it was always in jest. I could see tears glistening in his eyes as he hugged Morgan and me goodbye at the airport.
My eyes stung as I pictured him wrapping his arm around a sniffling Jody and waving us off at the gate.
Why did I leave them again?
The seatbelt sign dinged and the plane erupted with movement. Morgan was up and out of her seat in a second, her long body stretching high to lift our bags down. I stood awkwardly from my seat, trying not to stumble as I inched my way into the aisle. She passed my bag down to me, and I hefted it onto my shoulder, nearly getting pushed to the floor by the man in front of me. My face smashed into Morgan's chest.
“Sorry,” I mumbled, pushing back and righting myself.
She chuckled and then put on her indignant face as she nudged the guy in front of me. “Watch it.”
He turned to give her some snide remark, but his features changed when he took her in. Yes, Morgan was tall, like nearly five-foot-ten tall. Her sharp, brown gaze could pierce iron, and she had a way about her that screamed, “Don't mess with me. I will ruin you.”
The guy backed off, finally having enough space to maneuver himself down the aisle. I grinned up at my friend before turning and shuffling after him.
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