Two Thousand Miles Away

Book Two: College - Chapter 17

Ella

"Ella, Sweetie," I heard my dad's voice say. He shook my arm in an attempt to wake me up.

I cuddled more into the seat, refusing to wake up. "No," I stated.

Dad grabbed my arm again. "Ella," he stopped and took a breath, "we're here."

That woke me up right away. I sprung from the seat and looked at what was around me. We were on the outskirts of the campus but I could already tell that it was beautiful. I laughed from happiness as tears came out of my eyes. I turned to my dad as I bounced in my seat. He smiled. I looked behind the seat at my brothers. They were fast asleep still.

A few minutes later we'd gotten to my dorm. It was ten thirty. I grabbed the paper and found my room number. We walked up to it.

The room was small and there was one window. My roommate and I would share a bathroom with two other girls next to us. We started bringing up the boxes.

Jacob

It was moving day for the University of Colorado. I'd already been there for a week prior since I was an athlete for the school. My roommate, Caleb, - who was also on the football team - and I were tossing a football around outside the dorms.

For the past twenty minutes I'd been watching this girl and her family. She had long fawn hair and was tall and thin. She had on a shirt that was just a little to small so it exposed a strip of her back.

Next to her were three guys. One was older, I guessed it was her dad. There was one that looked about twenty. He looked like her so I assumed it was her brother. There was also a little boy who was clinging onto her leg. Probably a little brother.

I was so zoned out that I didn't realize the little boy had wondered off. I threw the football I'd just caught without looking. "Ow," I heard somebody say.

I turned around to see the little boy on the ground next to my football. He was rubbing his head. I ran over to him to make sure he was okay. I heard the girl squeal, "Oh my gosh, Grayson are you okay?"

I froze when I heard that name. Where had I heard that name before?

The girl rushed over and fell to the ground next to her brother. She pulled him into a hug. The boy - Grayson, I assume - shoved her away. "El, I'm fine."

I cocked my head. Then smirked. "That was a serious hit little guy," I told Grayson. "You should try for football."

The girl turned and glared at me. "Go Away. You've done enough. And you clearly can't throw very well if you hit a child."

I smirked and gave the girl a once over. "Well, this school disagrees. You'll find me starting at every game."

The girl couldn't come up with an answer. "Just shut up," she said, shaking her head as if she was grossed out by me.

I sat back and glanced at her face again. Why did she seem familiar? "Okay," I said. "Let's try this again. I'm Jacob. And you are?"

She shook her head again and her frown grew. "None of your business."

The boy sat up and said, "That's not true. A name is public information." He turned to me, whispering as if we were in some kind of secret get together. "Her name is Ella."

The smirk fell off my face as he said her name. Ella smacked her brother behind the head. I said slowly, "And your last name?"

Ella glared at me but said, "West. Ella West."

I stood up shocked. I wanted to blurt out who I was, but there was more between us now. I had stopped talking to her months ago and I'd been lying about who I was this whole time. I was the penpal.

"Ella!" her brother...Mike, that was his name, yelled. "I think your roommate just got here!"