As Close As Strangers

Three

"Calum move out of my way! I have to get my computer!" I said pushing him towards the wall.

"Excuse you." Calum spat.

"You know how he gets." Luke laughed.

I ran into my room and locked the door behind me. Shit, where is my computer! Ha, there it is.

Five missed calls? Shit. Shit. Shit. I clicked the button and anxiously waited for her to pick up.

Please answer Ella, I said to myself.

Three calls later and she finally appeared on my screen. My smiled faded into a frown when I saw her. Her makeup was a mess and her eyes were red.

"Hey baby." I said.

"Hi." She sighed.

"I'm sorry I didn't answer before, I had an int-"

"Interview. You had an interview. Or a photo shoot or something. It's always something." She said.

"Ella." I said.

"Save it. Please just save it. I don't wanna hear it anymore." She said.

Ella

"Save it. Please just save it. I don't wanna hear it anymore." I said.

I was trying so hard not to cry. My voice was cracking and shaking. Just like me, I was cracking and shaking.

"Baby, please just listen." He begged.

"Don't call me baby." I spat.

"Ella please stop being so difficult!" He shouted.

And that was when I lost it. I wasn't holding back my tears anymore. I didn't care anymore.

"Are you fucking kidding me? I'm difficult? I-I can't believe you just said that. Do you know how hard this is on me? Do you-" I stopped.

I couldn't speak. I was consumed by my own tears. I covered my face with my hands while Michael watched me cry.

"Please don't cry. Please stop." He pleaded.

Without another word, I hung up and closed my laptop.