All I Want Is You

Chapter 3: Summer Nights

Ella's voiceover says, "Every birthday I've ever had has been here, in this house. It's always the same. Mom makes me Mickey Mouse pancakes. Everyone gives me presents. It's my favorite day of the year." Flashback to a young Ella celebrating her birthday. Everyone sings happy birthday and Ella smiles blowing out the candles. Everyone cheers and claps. A young Conrad grabs the bottle of syrup and pours a shape on Ella's pancakes. Ella's confused by the shape and she looks at Conrad and says, "What is that?" Conrad says, "Infinity. Do you know what that means?" Ella shakes her head and says, "No." Conrad says, "It's really cool. I learned it in math class. So, you know how numbers keep getting bigger and bigger?" Ella nods and Conrad continues to say, "A hundred, a thousand, a million. To get to the biggest number, in the world, you'd have to keep counting because there's always a bigger number. It's boundless." Ella says, "I don't get it." Conrad points to the infinity on the pancake and says, "Imagine it's a racetrack. You see how there's no starting or ending point?" Ella nods and Conrad continues to say, "You could travel endlessly around those curves. Goes on forever. That's infinity." Ella nods with a smile and says, "Cool." Flashback Over.

Ella's in her room just finished getting ready and she looks herself in the mirror with a smile. Ella grabs her phone and leaves the room heading downstairs and into the kitchen to see balloons set up. Ella smiles and says, "Morning, everyone." Everyone turns to Ella with a smile and they say, "Happy birthday." Susannah walks up to Ella and says, "There's the birthday girl looking like a vision in floral." Susannah hugs Ella and Ella smiles. Susannah pulls away and Jeremiah smiles at Ella and says, "Happy sweet 16, El." Jeremiah hugs Ella and Ella smiles and says, "Thanks." Jeremiah pulls away as Steven smiles at Ella and says, "It's crazy to think you're already 16, I can't believe my baby sister is growing up." Ella smiles and says, "I'll always be your baby sister." Laurel walks up to Ella and hugs her saying, "Happy birthday, my sweet princess Ella." Ella smiles and says, "Thanks, mom." Laurel pulls away and says, "Your Mickey Mouse pancakes are ready." Ella smiles and says, "Great, thanks." Ella walks past Conrad ignoring him still pretty upset with him. Ella sits at the table and Laurel places the Mickey Mouse pancakes in front of Ella as everyone sings happy birthday. Laurel smiles and says, "Make a wish." Ella closes her eyes and Ella's voiceover says, "I've wished for Jeremiah on every birthday, every shooting star, every penny in a fountain. What if now I have the power to make my wish come true?" Ella blows out the candle and everyone claps with a smile. After Ella eats her pancakes, everyone moves into the living room for presents. Laurel hands Ella her gift and it's a book of poems and Ella smiles. Laurel smiles and says, "It's a first edition. I got it from a rare book dealer." Ella smiles and says, "Thanks, mom. I love it." Laurel smiles and says, "Turn to the bookmarked page." Ella turns the bookmarked page as Laurel looks at Susannah and says, "It's your favorite poem." Ella smiles and says, "Oh, yeah. I remember Susannah teaching us to recite this. "For whatever we lose..." Jeremiah joins in with Ella saying, "Like a you or a me." Everyone joins in and says, "'It's always ourselves we find in the sea.'" Ella smiles and says, "This is amazing, mom. Thank you." Laurel smiles and says, "You're welcome." Susannah smiles, handing Ella her gift as she says, "Okay, open mine now, Ella." Ella smiles and unwraps the gift seeing a box as she opens the box she softly smiles at the pearl necklace. Ella softly smiles and says, "Wow, it's beautiful. Thank you, Susannah." Susannah sits next to Ella and takes out the necklace placing it around Ella's neck as she says, "My mom gave me these pearls for my sweet 16. Radiant, isn't she?" Susannah sits next to Laurel and Laurel smiles at Ella and says, "They look great on you, sweetheart." Ella smiles. Jeremiah smiles and says, "Oh, I'm next." Jeremiah hands Ella his gift and Ella smiles opening the box seeing a gold heart locket with the words "Always and Forever" engraved on it. Ella opens the locket up and it's a picture from last year of her, Jeremiah, Steven, and Conrad. Ella smiles at Jeremiah and says, "I love it, Jere." Jeremiah smiles and says, "I knew you would." Ella grabs the locket and clasps it on her neck. Jeremiah smiles and says, "It looks good on you." Ella smiles. Steven smiles and says, "Think fast, Ella." Steven tosses his gift to Ella and Ella quickly catches it and says, "Your lucky I know how to catch." Ella opens up Steven's gift to see a Princton long sleeve and she says, "Steven, I love it." Steven smiles and says, "Good, 'cause I didn't want you stealing mine next year when I get in." Ella chuckles and says, "I'll probably end up stealing yours anyway." Everyone laughs except Laurel. Laurel looks at Steven and says, "I didn't know you were still considering Princeton." Steven says, "You know, I-I think I'm gonna apply for some scholarships, and Dad thinks I can get some financial aid. I-I don't know. I'll see if I get in." Laurel says, "Okay. Um..." Susannah looks at Conrad and says, "Conrad, uh, do you want to give Ella your present?" Everyone looks at Conrad and he says, "Sorry, I forgot." Ella scoffs and says, "You forgot?" Conrad says, "Ella..." Ella huffs standing up and says, "You know what, forget it. I don't care. Jere?" Jeremiah looks over at Ella with a smile and says, "Yeah?" Ella softly smiles and says, "Wanna help me practice driving so we can go pick up Taylor?" Jeremiah smiles and says, "Yeah, come on." The two leave. Later, Ella's driving Jeremiah's jeep with Jeremiah in the passenger seat. Jeremiah says, "Okay, slow and steady. You're doing great. Just keep going straight, okay?" Ella simply nods. As Ella focus's on driving, Jeremiah glances at Ella and says, "So, what's going on with you and Conrad? You two never fight." Ella sighs and says, "We had an argument about how you guys ruined my date and then he called me a bitch and then I told him to go screw himself." Jeremiah chuckles and says, "Damn." Ella says, "I know. I don't know what's up with him this summer, but he's not going to ruin my birthday." Jeremiah says, "Then don't let him. So, you excited to see Taylor?" Ella brightly smiles and says, "Hell, yeah. She always knows how to make me feel better." Jeremiah smiles at Ella as Ella focus's on the road not hearing her call his name until he feels Ella slap his arm and he says, "Huh?" Ella chuckles and says, "I said, how am I doing at driving?" Jeremiah smiles and says, "Oh. You're doing amazing. You're going to ace you're driving test." Ella smiles. Later, they arrive at the bus station getting out the car waiting for Taylor. The bus pulls up and Taylor walks out the bus with balloons in her hands with a smile and says, "Happy birthday, Ella." Ella smiles wrapping Taylor in a hug and says, "Thanks, Taylor. I'm so happy that your here." Taylor pulls away from the hug and says, "Me too. God, Ella you look amazing. Doesn't she look amazing, Jeremiah?" Jeremiah smiles at Ella and says, "Always." Taylor smiles knowingly at the way Jeremiah is looking at Ella. Taylor eyes the heart locket around Ella's neck and she says, "That locket is beautiful, where do you get it?" Ella smiles at Jeremiah and says, "Oh, Jeremiah got for me for my birthday." Taylor smiles and says, "Did he now?" Ella rolls her eyes at Taylor and chuckles. Jeremiah diverts his attention to Taylor and says, "Oh, uh, here, let me get your bag." Taylor hands her bag off to Jeremiah and says, "Thank you. You're such a gentlemen, Jeremiah." Jeremiah bows and says, "Of course. So, uh, should we head home?" Taylor says, "Ooh, actually, can we make a stop first?" Ella nods and says, "Of course." Later, the three of them are at an ice cream place and Ella and Taylor are splitting a banana split. Taylor moans at the taste and says, "Mmm. I live. I would literally eat this every day if I could." Ella smiles and says, "Me too." Taylor puts her spoon down and says, "Okay. Open your present." Taylor opens her bag and gets out a small bag and pushes it over to Ella. Ella smiles and digs into the bag and pulls out a baby pink strapless two-piece bikini set. Taylor smiles and says, "Well, what do you think?" Ella smiles and says, "I love it, Taylor. It's so cute." Taylor smiles and says, "Your welcome. It's gonna look so hot on you. Okay, so, what's the plan for tonight? Where's the party?" Ella places the bikini back into the bag and says, "Well, Susannah always plans a big lobster dinner." Taylor says, "Boring. It's your 16th birthday. We have to go out." Ella smiles and says, "Okay, well, there's a party later that my friend Nicole is throwing that we can go to." Taylor smiles and says, "Okay, now that's what I'm talking about. Come on, let's go back to the house. I want to change into my bikini and jump into the pool." Ella smiles and says, "Okay." Ella grabs the banana split eating it as she walks to the car with Taylor and Jeremiah behind her.