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Ella | Home

I laid in bed sighing.

I've been cleaning all day. I've cleaned my room, the kitchen, the dining room, the living room, every bathroom and went down a walk down memory lane in the attic.

Saying I'm tired is a understatement.

"Ella?" Grayson said, knocking on the closed door.

"Come on in." I said, sitting up with a groan.

He came inside and sat on my couch.

"Where has Kelly been?"

Kelly hasn't been to school in a while and I'm worried like crazy about her. I do know that she was taking online classes on Tuesday and Thursday but she wouldn't tell me why. In fact, she advoided the entire question.

Today I'm going to her house to see where she has been. Im worried like sick and I need to know she's okay. She's my bestfriend and I don't know what I'd do without her.

"I can honestly tell you that I have no idea. Kelly has not been herself lately and I would know that because she usually comes to school and she hasn't been."

"Well are you going to go check on her?" He questioned.

"As soon as I take a shower, yes."

"Well, can I go too?" He questioned me, nervously.

Grayson and Kelly are the i dont know but we like each other alot couple. They'll hug, laugh with each other and even kiss each others cheeks but they aren't official and they dont kiss on the lips or show any affection in public, like Blake and I do.

"Are you still with Ciara?" I questioned, already knowing the answer.

In response he nodded his head while looking down.

"Seriously Grayson!? You're leading Kelly on! She's serious about her feelings towards you and it's like you're just like oh I don't care. I got two girls at once." I said, trying to sound like him.

"I dont sound like that and it's not even like that. I do like Kelly, a-fucking-lot but it's just...I dont know. I guess I still want Ciara at the same time." He said sighing.

"You can give Kelly some crappy excuse about how you're trying to get rid of Ciara but she's too clingy but you cant give her the truth like you just did to me." I said, shaking my head.

"I know, Ella. I fucking know."

"Obviously you dont because you're still with Ciara and unknowingly hurting Kelly even though she doesn't even know. You're such a boy, Grayson."

"Im trying here, okay?" He snapped.

"Well try harder." I snapped back.

I dont care who it is, I will not tolerate no one hurting my bestfriend. Not strangers, not my boyfriend, not even my family.

"Ella, can I please go with you though? Just as a friend." He said, pleading me.

"Okay yes. You can go."

"Thank you." He said in relief. "I'll be ready in ten." He said, exiting my room.

I got out of my bed while sighing and heading into my closet. It was cold outside so I needed something to keep me warm. I ended up pulling out light blue ripped jeans, black uggs and a black hoodie that I stole from Blake a few days ago.

After my shower I slipped into my clothes after throwing my hair into a bun and slipping Chapstick onto my dry lips.

I grabbed my crossbody, keys and phone before leaving out od my room and going downstairs where Grayson was sitting on the couch.

"Are you ready?" I asked.

"I've been ready for the past fifteen minutes. You take nearly as long as Gracie." He said, chuckling.

"Liar." I said laughing. "Gracie literally takes about forty-five minutes to get dressed."

We headed into the garage and got into my car.

"Yeah that's about right." He said, chuckling while I started the engine.

I connected my phone via Bluetooth and let Im Yours by Alessia Cara play through my speakers.

It didn't take long to reach Kelly's house taking the shortcut so when I pulled down the road, I ended up behind her mothers car with the both of them in it. While they parked in the driveway, I parked infront of the house, sliding out of the car and leaving the keys in the ignition since Grayson was still in the car.

"Ella? What're you doing here?" Kelly asked, nervously.

Why is she nervous?

How am I supposed to know.

"You haven't been to school in over three weeks. I hope you didn't think I wasn't coming to check on you."

Kelly looked like she wasn't okay at all, like she was just trying to hold it together.

"Come here." I said, engaging her into a hug. "I don't know what's wrong but I know you're not okay."

As soon as the words not okay left my mouth, she wrapp her arms around me and began to sob.

"I-I'm so tired, Ella. We-we-" She sobbed while trying to talk.

"Shh. Just let it all out." I said, rubbing her back.

From the corner of my eye I saw Grayson appear while stuffing my keys in his pocket.

I looked behind Kelly as I saw the figure of Ms. Lee taking boxes from her car. She looked ten times worse than Kelly. She looked extremely stressed out and tired. I caught her eye and she gave me a sad smile, I returned it with a confused one of my own.

A few minutes later Kelly was all hiccups and no tears.

"What's happening Kell." I asked, concerned.

"Come in first." She said, softly.

We followed her and her mother into the small home.

"I'll go make some tea." Ms. Lee said, softly.

I sat beaide of Kelly on the couch while Grayson sat in the loveseat.

"Kelly you're scaring..." I began but trailed off once I saw the bright red paper on the coffee table that read EVICTION NOTICE.

I picked it up and quickly skimmed over it.

"You're being evicted from your home? For what?" I questioned.

"Yes and for not paying the rent." She said.

"How did it get like this. You never spoke of it." Grayson said.

"I know. My mother and I have a habit of keeping important things that we may need help with between the both of us." She said.

"Kelly, their you're friends, tell them exactly how we got to this position." Ms. Lee said, coming in with some tea.

"Okay." Kelly said. "Nine months ago, I had a father in my life. We had a shared bank account with over six hundred thousand in it. Eight months ago my father left us for another woman and the kids he had with her behind our backs. He cleared out the bank account. Thankfully I was smart enough to not insert my paychecks into the bank account, but my mom did. So for a month, I paid all the bills with the saved up money I had while my mom was trying to recover. My so-called-father took everything, including the furniture, which he ended up selling and gaining even more money from. With the help of some of our other family, it took us five months to get back on our feet but as you can see we never fully did. My mom had an accident one day and we had to pay for her surgery which literally bankrupted us. We barely had anything left. Thankfully we had great landlords that allowed us to skip a month and pay it next month but then that put us way behind. We are currently four months in rent so they had to file the eviction notice on us or the house would've went into foreclosure. We have thirty days to evacuate the premises or the sheriff will come and escort us off the premises." She said, trying to hold back her tears.

"So where are you going to go?" Grayson asked.

"We"re splitting up. Mom may end up sleeping in the car or two cities over at my Aunt Sara's and me. I dont know. My mom wanted me to ask if I could stay with you but I don't want to bother you guys. Im pretty sure we have enough on your plates." Kelly said, shrugging.

"You can stay with us, Kelly. You dont even have to ask. On thanksgiving we told you that we're thankful for you, you're practically family to Ella. You can stay." Grayson said.

Of course Kelly can stay. I wouldn't care if she did, I'd be extremely happy. We'd even let her mother stay with no charge to them because I care about them but I'm not letting them stay. I have something better in mind.

"You're welcome to spend the night anytime you want with us, Kelly. But you're not staying with us." I said, earning a look from everyone in the room.

"What?" Kelly asked. "I thought you wouldn't mind if-" I quickly cut her off.

"You shouldn't have to stay with us and your mom shouldn't have to sleep in the car or two cities away from her daughter when you guys have a house." I said.

"But we dont have a house. We're being evicted." Ms. Lee said.

"Yes but right here it says if you can come up with the owed money the lease will be reinstated." I said, reading the paper.

"That's three thousand and four hundred dollars. We dont have that much money." Kelly said.

"But we do." Grayson said, understanding where I was going.

Kelly's and Ms. Lee's eyes both got big, nearly popping out of their socket.

"Oh no. No no no no no, there is no way we are letting you pay that much money for our overdue rent." Ms. Lee said.

"And we're not letting you two be split up." I pressed.

"She wont give up and neither will I." Grayson said.

"We'd never be able to pay it back though." Kelly said.

"Its Christmas Eve, so it's our early Christmas present from us to you." I said.

"Are you sure? Because-" Ms. Lee began but I quickly cut her off.

"Ms. Lee, Kelly and Ella are close. They are closer than Ella and her real sister. And I like your daughter, alot. So much that it seems unreal. My sister and I refuse to let you and your daughter be separted and we refuse to see you two give up your home when we know there is something we can do about it." Grayson said, looking at Ms. Lee.

"Okay." Ms. Lee sighed. "Just under one condition."

"Anything." I said.

"If you and Kelly stop being friends for any reason, please dont throw it back into her face." Ms. Lee said.

"That wont ever happen because Kelly and I wont stop being friends but we promise." I said.

"Okay then. You can pay our rent for us." Ms. Lee said sighing.

"Great!"

"Thank you so much." Kelly said, crying again and hugging me.

- - - -

Chapter 53

· LEAVE COMMENTS AND VOTES.

· WHOSE GOING TO SEE THE NEW HALLOWEEN MOVIE ?

^ HOPEFULLY I AM

Announcements :

· I came up with this Kelly scene before everything happened to me. That's crazy lol.

· This book is way overdue to be finished therefore I'm speeding it up even more. Im hoping to have this book finished in five to six more chapters.

· Which means alot of things will kind of be left out but explained at the same time. Like for instance I'm not going to put a sex scene with Ella and Blake but you will definitely know that the two of them had sex. Got it ?

· Unrelated announcement ; IM FINALLY SET UP AND AM OFFICALLY A COLLEGE FRESHMAN 💙 Im super duper excited. I cant wait to see whatcomes down my road in life.