After showering and getting ready, Amy, Sylvia and I made our way to Alejandros for brunch. Although Sylvia made plenty of snarky comments towards Amy throughout our meal, I expected brunch to go worse than it did. The waiter came by and collected our plates and I feel relief wash over me that this is almost over.

"So, Isabelle, how's your summer been so far?" Sylvia asks as she takes a small sip of her ice tea.

"It's been alright, it just started." I reply and wipe my hands on the napkin on my lap.

"Elle recently just graduated."  Amy says and Sylvia nods slowly.I'm sure she's trying to make me seem like I'm doing well with my life but I know exactly where this conversation is going. I bet Sylvia has been dying to ask me about college and I really didn't want to hear it. 

"What were your plans for school?" I shift in my seat from her question. Why would she ask me this when she already knows the answer?

"I think you already know the answer to that, Sylvia." I begin, "I'm not going." I take my glass of water in my hands and sip to ignore the silence breaking through.

"Not going?" Sylvia tried to clarify. "Is this because of what happened?"

"That's exactly the reason." I answer, I could feel my voice getting higher and I try to hold back the anger that was reeling inside of me.

I hate it when they bring this up. I feel even worse when they act like it's my fault. 

"But Isabelle, you'd love attending Ridgeview, especially since it'd be a real school. An education with value, unlike that God awful public school Amy sent you to." She says, and releases a smile from her lips so her words won't hurt as much, but they still do.

I feel Amy's eyes drop down to her hands and I take a deep breath before I cause a scene.  I look over to Amy in frustration and I can tell she's trying her best to keep her mouth shut just as I am.

I didn't know me going to a public school affected her so much, she's never voiced her opinion before. I've never wanted to go to a private University for college, plus that'd be very expensive. It's not like I have two parents saving up for me for school. 

"And how do you expect me to pay for it after what she did?" I asked her, trying to keep calm.

Before it happened I always dreamed about going to college. Especially after my father died, I couldn't wait to get out of this town. I studied hard, got good grades, everything that would have made it an easy way in. It was all going according to plan. 

 And then Senior year happened.

I shouldn't be surprised. I mean she did leave me after all. She left me to recollect all of the broken pieces my dads death caused. But I never expected her to take my college funds with her.

I didn't find out until a week before college applications were due. I had already filled them out, and crossed each one of my dream schools off my list. 

I was ready.

And then once again, the world I knew shattered. All of my future plans and goals had broken along with it and I was left with nothing. 

"I had college in the palm of my hands and here I thought she couldn't take any more from me."

I drop the napkin that was on my lap onto the table in front of me and stand up from my seat so abruptly it creates a screeching noise. I was tired of talking about this. What more did they want me to do?

"Excuse me, I'm going to get some air." I say and begin to walk away.

"Isabelle..." I hear Amy's voice trail off but I don't even bother to turn around.

I walk out the gates of Alejandros to get some fresh air. Sylvia has only been back for about three hours now and I feel like I'm going crazy. I appreciate her voicing her concerns but I'm not her child, and I only see her once a year. So if she really is that concerned then maybe she should visit more often. 

I try to call Jessica but it goes straight to voicemail. I groan in frustration and begin pacing back and forth on the sidewalk.

After about a minute or two, I lean my back against the black gates and I look out onto the street. I see a familiar face walking down the opposite side of the street and my heart skips a beat.

"Aiden!" I call out, he stops and looks around unaware of where the sound of his name was coming from and I call out again. His eyes scan around the street until they finally meet mine and I see a smile appear on his lips from where I'm standing. He quickly jogs over to me before wrapping his arms around my waist and bringing me into a tight hug.

"Elle," I hear him say as he hugs me. He releases me from his embrace and eyes me up and down.

"You look great." He says and I suddenly forget all about my angry emotions from earlier, and happiness is all I feel.

"So do you." I say and mean it. His dirty blond hair has gotten longer since the last time I've seen him and I notice a little facial hair appearing that wasn't there six months ago. He seemed to have gotten a bit taller- his arms looked bigger too, he looked really good.

"It's so great to see you, we need to catch up." He says and I nod my head and agree. I feel the same way, there's so much I want to say to him.

"Yeah, I agree." I take in his appearance one more time and notice the way my heart swells when he looks at me. Six months have passed since I've last seen him in person. I feel like he left with so much unsaid, and before I know it I'm asking a question I wonder if I'll regret later.

"Do you want to get out of here?"