Underneath //H.S. AU

eight.

The second that the shoot is over, I receive an incoming call. I'm surprised to see my brother's name appear on the screen and worry flashes through me. I haven't heard from him in a few months, so I assumed that everything was going fine back at what used to be home.

I answered as fast as I could. "Jax?"

"Sis, I did it, I actually did it!" He was screaming so loudly I had to turn the volume down seven notches.

"Okay, and this 'it' would be referring to?" I ask nonchalantly. I hope he doesn't mean anything illegal. His little side jobs of selling marijuana, selling test answers, selling anything that he could get his hands on for money that he could save up always worried me. I didn't want him getting caught but I couldn't discourage him. I know how much he wants to move out the second that he is able to, just like I did.

"I graduated early, Ellie! And I'm coming to London,"

I'm so overjoyed by his news that I decide to ignore his tantalizing nickname for me. "Oh my God Jaxon that's amazing! How did you do it?" I'm genuinely happy for him but I'm also very curious. He was never the smartest at academics, he excelled in other departments. I have no doubt that he would make an amazing electrician or carpenter, he was the only one who knew how to fix things up around the house whenever mom spent all of her money on booze and gambling.

"So, I had the current SAT answers, snuck them into the testing session and got a perfect score. I guess the Cali kids are slacking because they gave me a call telling me that I earned the highest score in the district for the first time in five years. They rewarded me with a diploma," I could detect the excitement in his voice from miles away.

I took a deep breath; of course he didn't actually study hard, he tricked his way into this. The maternal instinct inside of me wants to scold him and tell him how he should have just waited it out and graduated honestly, but the big sister part of me takes over. I'm thrilled to hear that he'll be making his way over here within the next week. I know that he's saved every penny he has ever earned so he has a decent amount in his bank account.

For some reason, the thought of picturing mom alone in the house without him nags at my core. She's a terrible mother, when my dad walked out on her when I was just six years old, it caused her to spiral out of control. She's been this way for sixteen years, but during those years she had Jaxon there to keep her company especially after I too had left after finishing college. But when I got accepted into med school at St. George's at the same time that I was offered a modeling contract I knew I had to leave her. She wasn't any good to us and we were definitely better off without her but she still was my mother. I didn't want her to be totally alone and have her only comfort be a bottle of vodka.

"Hello, sis are you still there?" Jaxon's inquiry forces me out of my flashback.

I gather the remainder of my clothes and struggle to get changed with the phone propped against my ear, my shoulder supporting it. "Yeah, sorry. When will you be getting here?"

"Should be a couple of days, maybe a week? I have to get my passport in order and purchase a temporary residence card. You're leaving the U.K. once med school is over right?"

"Yeah, get a three year one. That's the cheapest," I inform him.

We chat for a few more minutes before hanging up, he gets me up to date on the details of his arrival and what he's expecting to do while he's here. I'm going to let him live with me for time being until he can get himself a proper job in landscaping or an off the books handy-man. As we discuss the distant future, I begin feeling uneasy. 

I know that I still have a decent way to go with my studies once this school year is over, but I never actually thought about where I would be ending up. I mean I don't think that I want to stay in this country but it's not so bad. Things are much cheaper here than they were in California and people seem to be infinitely more polite for the most part. Nothing is drawing me back towards America but I suppose that I will go back to start my career.

"Hey you, I've been looking for you all over. What happened with the celeb? You know the one, Harry Styles." Aubrey struts over to me, interrupting my thoughts. For once I'm thankful, imagining my future is not something that I need to worry myself with at the moment.

"Oh, nothing. I got the phone back." I wave it in her face for effect praying that she won't press the matter further.

"It sure didn't seem like nothing. Spill, girl!" She nudges my arm as we walk in sync back to our building. I blush immediately, knowing that I can't conceal this from her.

"I may or may not be seeing him again tonight," I confess.

"Oh my God he definitely likes you! You have got to let me do your hair and makeup." I'm convinced that she's going to topple over in delight but then I remember that Aubrey never falls. Not even when she's doing the catwalk in six inch heels.

"We'll see, okay? But hey, guess what!" I'm desperate to divert the attention away from this conversation. "My brother is coming to stay with us here."

Her eyes widen as if she can't believe it. Granted, I'm still surprised myself that this is actually happening. Sometimes when things remain the same for so long you begin to expect it to stay that way forever. "Wow, I guess all of his recent studying paid off."

Just as I'm about to ask her what she means, I remember my lie from days before. I can't actually tell her the real reason how this is becoming possible so I keep my mouth shut for the rest of the way to the apartment. 

Aubrey and I depart once we get inside and I decide to catch up on some sleep. Something tells me that I'm going to be up all night. 

Blahhh totally boring filler chapter that's why i'm double updating yay!! thank you so much for 300 reads :) means so much to me. 

p.s. here's what Noelle's sexy brother Jaxon looks like;