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Changes

          Five years later  
                Illi's POV
        I stand up from the desk and grab my bag before leaving the meeting room. The wind is cold and it blows hard on my skin. I jog across the street to the small coffee shop. Lucas stands up and hugs me, kissing my cheek.
    "How'd it go?" He asks. I shrug, holding my jacket tightly around me. "When is the books release date?"
    "July fifth," I answer, looking outside the window. He takes my hand and squeezes it.
    "What's wrong? You have that scared look in your eyes," he says. I sigh, closing eyes.
    "It's just that my parents don't like you much," I blurt out. He chokes on his coffee. "My mom told me she doesn't like you after you two met for the first time.  My dad says I could do better, but your fine he guesses," I add.
    He rests back into his seat. "I've done everything I could to make them like me. What else can I do?" He asks. I shrug. "Shrug again, and you might break your shoulders." I shrug again with a smile. "Whatever, soo do I come tonight or no?" He asks.
    "Yes, you do. And try and act like you don't know what I just told you," I tell him. He nods. He walks me back to my car and looks down at me.
   "Am I picking you up, or meeting you there?" He asks.
    "I don't care. You can pick me up if you want," I say. He leans down and kisses me. I place my hand on the aide of his face, kissing back. He pulls away and walks back across the street.
     ×××××××××  
        



       I've grown more comfortable with my body over the years. It's more I've come to terms with it. Holding onto Lucas's hand, we make our way to my parent's backyard.
    Venus jumps out of the pool and runs over for a hug, but I hold my arms out to stop her. She chuckles and puts a towel around herself. "I've missed you," she says. I don't have much time anymore to just go and visit her or anyone for that matter. I'm either plotting, editing, or at a meeting. That's all my life is really.
     The gate opens and Jarvis comes in with people behind him. My eyes widen when I see I see who it is. I had known that him and Leslie were together, but what I didn't know was that Jules had come back.
     Age has done him very, very well. Marcus jogs over and picks me up. He's never met Lucas. Oh dear lord, I winder how this will go. I notice a girl behind Jules, holding his hand. Oh.
     She's pretty. Tall. Skinny. Just plain pretty. Bitch. What am I talking about!? Jules steps over and looks down at me. We had lost contact three months after he left and haven't talked since. I haven't even thought about him.    
    "Hey," he says and awkwardly hugs me. I pull away from him and place my hand back in Lucas's. He rises his brows. "And this is?" He asks.
   "Lucas," he answers. They shake hands, Jules's expression not friendly at all. 
    "Um, this is my girlfriend Nikole," he says. She steps up and shakes our hands. She eyes me suspiciously.
    "Very nice to meet you," I say boredly. My parents come out, breaking the silence. Lucas and I sit down, his hand resting on my thigh.
    ×××××××××
     "Hey," a deep voice says from behind me. Everyone has gone inside, but I'm out because I needed air. Turning around, I see Jules.
    "Hello," I say in response. He sits down next to me. "Glad to see your still breathing," I say. He sighs.
    "Me too," he says. I look over at him. "About myself. Happy I'm still breathing. Anyways, how've you been?" He says.
    "Good. Busy," I answer. "You?" I ask.
     "Busy. Just moved into an apartment and start a job at the police station in three days," he tells me. I look into his green/grey eyes. He has a scar going down the side of his that I hadn't noticed til now.
   "What happened there?" I ask. He grins.
    "Bomb went off. I landed on a rock," he says. I smile at him. "Is he good to you? That's all I'll ask about your relationship, I promise."
    "He is, but I'm not so sure about it. He's too...prissy," I say. He chuckles. "What about Nikole?" I ask.
    "It wasn't event supposed to happen. Started as a hook up when I cane back for awhile last year. She...I don't know." I laugh at him. "Well, I should be leaving. It was...good to see you again."
    I smile. "You too."

AN: well things are different now.  Comment! Share! Stay alive |-/               -Veah