ELLA

Surprise

When you see our cabin from the outside, it looks small. Like really small, you'd think its an apartment but once you enter its pure magic. The floors are a deep mahogany, the walls are glowing white with thousands of pictures all over the walls. To the left is the kitchen, with a massive marble island with a basket of every fruit you can imagine. To the right is the master bedroom, 2 of them actually. And downstairs is where the kids live, well usually Andrew and I.
My room is the first at the end of the stairs, his is all the way past the downstairs play/living room to the right and in between my favorite getaway, the movie room. They installed two large stair like bunks into the wall and covered them with a futon and giant pillows, the screen is projected from the top, I think we have direct tv or something.
I'm sitting in "my room now" starting to unpack what mom left for me in there. She bagged the clothes by outfit, she definitely called Dawn in advance to see what I would need for wherever we'd be going. I started to count the bags, there's so many its obnoxious. I'm not staying for 8 years I'm only here for 3 days why does she always take it to extremes ?
I hear a knock on the open door and a very nervous Andrew appears in the doorway.
"Think we can talk now?"
My stomach sank, I try to speak but little gasps of air escape my mouth.
"I- I'm gonna shower first!" I lie. I showered this morning but I bolt past him and quickly lock the door. What the hell is wrong with me ? How ill-mannered am I? I run the shower and sit on the toilet with my legs hugged tight to me. This is all too much. I'm brutally shaking and my palms are sweaty. I am an absolute chicken, why did I have to be embedded this way?
I undress and put my hair up so it won't get wet. I stand in the shower letting the warm water relax my redundantly tense muscles.
Thoughts are swarming in. If Andrew is about proclaim his love for me I need to be ready. Oh my god do I love him back ? I don't know what love is I don't even know what that feels like ! I guess I'll know in the moment ? Ella focus on you. Relax, breathe.
The steam has damped my hair but hopefully not damaged it, I think mom would cry. But thankfully when I let it down from its bun it falls perfect. Thank god.
I poke my head out of the door and check to see if he's in sight, the door to his room is closed so I can make a run for it.
I almost fall face first but I make it and I slam the door behind me and it startles me as usual.
I should just start getting ready. I dig for the makeup bag at the bottom of the suitcase and I can now see why the bag was so heavy. It's huge, like unnecessarily huge. I unzip it and it's like a candy store for makeup, Sephora has nothing on this. But there is one teeny tiny little problem, just minor. I have no idea how to do makeup!
Andrew knocks on the door and I realize I have no clothes on, "Just a minute !" I go to the closet and pull on a fluffy robe.
"Nothing I haven't seen before come on." I can feel his smile through the door and I blush.
I let him and punch him on the shoulder.
"Don't be a creep. What did you want to tell me?" I sit on my bed.
He sits against the wall on the floor next to the bed and he's playing with his fingers very nervously.
"So Ella." He sighs.
I'm currently not breathing and I feel light headed, ok here we go.
"I've been wanting to tell you this for a while now. I don't know how you're gonna take it or if you're going to expect it but I have been dropping hints for a few years now-" he pauses and stands to sit next to me now. He grabs my clammy hands in his but lays back on the pillows and takes a deep breath. Just say it already!
"Ella I-..." He's noticeably shaking now, harder than I am.
I rest my hand on his leg to assure him it's ok.
"It's me Drew, together through anything remember ?" Did I really mean that? He's about to tell me he loves me and I don't even know if I feel the same.
He's holding back so much why can't he just speak.
"You...?" I face him now but he won't look at my face.
"Ella, I'm gay."
My mouth gapes open I feel like my jaw is going to detach. The nerves leave the pit of my stomach and I can feel the color flushing back to my face.
"Holy shit." I can proudly say I'm wildly relieved.
"Is that all you can say?" He looks down and I sense regret in his words.
"I just didn't expect it." There's a long silence.
"You don't have to be my friend anym-"
"Don't finish that sentence." I cut him off, "Are you crazy? Andrew I love you in any shape or form. I can't say I expected it though. Are you sure you, you know..." I hint.
"Like penis ?" He smiles.
"EW ! Don't say it like that ! I mean are you sure you can have feelings for another guy ?" There's a good humor in the room now which reminds me of how Andrew and I were before high school. We didn't worry and we were inseparable.
Now that I think about it Andrew has only had one girlfriend before. In Sophomore year, Kylie Neatle, but they only lasted 2 weeks. He also always dresses impeccable but that's just good style, right?
"Actually, Ella I have a boyfriend." I fling myself back onto the bed almost forgetting the small robe I'm wearing but I catch all the fabric before I expose too much.
"Jesus ! How could you not tell me sooner ! Are you pregnant too?!" I throw a stuffed bear at him. He lets out his magical, contagious laugh and we're both laughing so hard I forget to breathe again.
We lay back in my bed parallel to eachother and he grabs my hand looking into my eyes.
"Thank you." He kisses my forehead.
"It's who you are." I kiss his hand.
"Now tell me. When am I meeting his mystery man?" I nudge him.
"Tonight." He jumped up, "I better go get ready, you should start too."
"Wait." I stand, "What about your mom? Does she know?"
"I'm going to tell her tonight during the party, not make a big scene but introduce him." His face is full of worry now so I hug him and tell him "It's going to be fine. I'll be there."
"You're the best." He wipes away an escaped tear.
"I know." I push him out of the room and close the door jokingly.
"Butt face." His voice fades down the hall.
This was unexpected I'll admit. I didn't see it coming at all and it was a shock but it's who he is and I accept 100%.
I should get ready... I know! YouTube tutorials ! I'm sure I can figure it out.
After an hour of applying, washing off , and re applying my makeup, I'm done.
I gave up on winged eyeliner that's something for a mastermind. I went with base, power, gold eyeshadow and mascara. My face feels so heavy, I hate it but I look damn good. I slip on the dress and heels just in time because Ryan yells down the stairs that were ready to go.
When I reach the top of the stairs Dawn gasps at my sight.
"Oh Ella ! You look so beautiful, you look like a woman." She hugs me.
"Little Ella." Drew walks up the stairs.
"You're absolutely stunning." I grin from cheek to cheek knowing I can take that compliment and know it means nothing that I thought it did.
"Thank you guys."
"How about a picture of Andrew and Ella?" Ryan takes out his iPhone and aims it at us.
Andrew grabs the small of my back, which keep in mind is bare. I jump and squeak at the touch of his cold fingers.
"Sorry about that!" We all laugh.
We take the picture and pile up into the car once again. Andrew and I keep smiling at each other and I know it's because we know something no one else does. But not for long because we arrive almost instantly.
The place is huge, I thought it was going to be at a hotel or something but it's a massive mansion with lights hung all over and giant white pillars adorned with reefs. The twinkle of the escaped gold eyeshadow under my eyes and the glitter effect keeps distracting me and causing me to rub my eye but not too rough cause I worked way too hard on this face.
A tall, slender man greets us at the door and for some reason he already knows my name.
"Miss Matcher, welcome."
"Hello." I smile politely but I'm slightly confused. I turn back to look for Drew but he isn't there, neither is Dawn or Ryan. Ahead of me is a lightly dimmed hall with couches along the way. Voices get louder as I reach the end of the hall with large doors, I push them open but two men open them from the inside the rest of the way.
Whoa this is fancy. A large stone staircase leads to a massive room full of familiar faces and unfamiliar ones as well.
I spot extremely recognizable blonde hair in the distance.
"Mom?" I run towards her.
"Surprise El! Do you like our party?" She claps.
"Our?" I lift a brow.
My dad appears from behind her.
"It's a reveal party." He grabs moms waste proudly.
"For?" I cock my head to the side, now I really am profusely confused.
"Your father and I have started a modeling business. We want you, Andrew and a few other young adults to be our first signed models ! "
My stomach sank.
"Why didn't you tell me ?" I'm a bit aggravated now.
My moms face changes to worried now "We wanted it to be a surprise."
I see the hope in her eyes and dads grip tensing around her waist as bit too.
Me, a model ? What a joke. I don't even know the first thing about modeling.
But they look so proud when they told me, this party is practically mine and what do I tell all these people if I were to say no?
I bite my lip in frustration but I finally agree.
"Alright." I force a smile.
"Really?" They say in unison.
"Yeah. It'll be fun." I lie.
"This is so wonderful Ella ! We're so excited this company will go far !"
They both embrace me in a group hug.
"Here let me go introduce you to the other models we picked." Dad takes my hand and leads me through the sea of people.
Eyes are on us as we cut through the crowd.
"Dad everyone is looking at us."
"No princess, they're looking at you." He grins.
Me ? Oh god no please don't look at me. Please everyone look away ! My conscious screams.
"Ella meet Pepper." He gestures towards a beautiful, tall brunette with white tips.
"So wonderful to finally meet you! I've been so excited to meet you in person I've heard so many good things from your parents." She gushes.
"I wish I could say the same, of course it's nice to meet you too but unexpected." I giggle and give a glance to dad.
Pepper and I talk like we've know each other for ages. She tells me how she's from Malibu and mom recruited her at the beach when we went last summer. They've been planning this for a while and I'm surprised I didn't catch mom talking to her when we were on vacation. Then again I do always read at the beach and am completely out of it.
"Oh and this-" dad waves over someone far away and wow he's beautiful. His dark waves slicked back perfectly on his head. His eyes are a deep green color but his pink contrasting lips catch my attention the most. "-is Jax."
He eyes me like he's known me before.

 Smiling a smile that instantly makes me melt, wow.

"Nice to meet you, Ella." the low British accent gives him away. I look down at his arm but his tux doesn't allow me to view the skin. I look at his fingers but no ring. It'd be too much of a coincidence to be the same guy I ran into at the cottage.

"I'll let you all chat up." Dad leaves me to my new acquaintances.
"So Ella," Jax fixes his eyes on mine, "would you like to dance ?"
My heart stops and I look over to Pepper standing behind him and she's giving me the thumbs up and silent cheer.
"I don't think I know how to dance." 

"Me either." he takes my hand.

If he smiles again, I may just die.