Just the Highlights

Julie: A Realization/Just the Highlights (234)

 The next morning the reunion ended with a little breakfast. Everyone was already getting teary and nostalgic, in preparation of leaving each other again (like we missed each other when we were away). But I was happy to leave. I loved my life in New York and wanted to get back to it as soon as possible. Traveling across the country had only made me more aware of how Eli, Ava, and I had created a little family for ourselves. I didn't need anything from these people and had no reason to want to be anywhere else.

Of course, the more I thought about this whole "we're a family" thing, the more I started to realize something else. It was a dangerous thought, the one thing that could ruin everything. I had denied it for as long as I could but now I had to confront it head on: I was in love Eli. I didn't know when that had happened, it's one of those things that just sneaks up on you, but that's how I felt and it wasn't going away. I was so screwed.

The big question was this: was I going to do anything about it? The obvious answer seemed to be yes. My feelings would most likely only grow over time and it would be better to just get them out there. God knows that we had gone through worse than this and we'd get over it. Would things be the same? No. Would things still be okay, if not better in the end? I had not convinced myself that Eli felt the same way, I knew he didn't. But it seemed better to just tell him, take a step back, and to figure out how to deal.

But then I realized something else: Eli had come very far but was nowhere near okay. He always seemed like he was one bad thing from falling apart. I wasn't going to make any demands of him but he might feel like I was just by telling him. I couldn't do that to him. He was just getting back to his usual cocky self, it was wonderful to see, and I couldn't ruin that. Maybe someday I'd be able to tell him and we'd be okay but not today. Not now. Telling him was not the right choice.

 "Are you sad to leave?"

"What?"

"Are you sad to leave like your family and stuff? Since we live so far away?"

"A little."

"It was nice to go back."

"But it's also kind of nice to leave."

"That's... really true."

"I liked being able to come back but I never want to live there again. Not permanently."

"I get that. Let's go home."

~~~

Before I begin, let me say that a song will be added from the playlist by this afternoon. I'm uploading at school again and I can't get to YouTube. So it goes.

Okay, I just have a few announcements:

One: there are 29 days until JTH ends. I know, it's so crazy! Don't freak out, we're on the tail end of the story but we're not done yet. Hang in there.

Two: as some of you may know, I have another story going on called "The Stage Manager." After JTH, it will be the only story I have going on until July. I have two other stories coming out in July, "What Do Couples Talk About?" and "A Guide to Being Super." But what worries me is that TSM hasn't been getting as much love from you guys as JTH does. 

So I've come up with a little reward for you guys if you head over and try out TSM. If TSM reaches 10K (it's at 7K now) before June 3rd (as in by June 2nd), I'll post a sneak peak of one of my upcoming stories. I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet but I promise that it will be awesome. And if TSM reaches say, 15K by June 3rd, I'll do another promotion! Yes, I will promote more of your wonderful stories. 

TSM only needs a little more than 2.5K to reach my 10K goal and that's less than what JTH gains in a day so I know you guys can do this. If you're at all interested in my stories outside of this one, go read TSM. I know you'll like it.

Okay, that's all! I hope you have a wonderful day. And I'll be trying to reply to some comments today as well, I know I've been slacking.