No Happily Ever After

I opened my eyes.
Where was I? I blinked for a second, waiting for my vision to establish, and my mind to tell me what happened, and how I got here. I wasn't in my room, nor in Jack's or any room I'd ever been in.
It was painted cream, with a giant cream bed, and a white and gold regal dresser and vanity table, holding a large mirror. My clothes lay on the floor rumpled.
I gasped, the sharp intake of air almost choking me.
'Jack?!'
'Ella?'
'W-Where are we?'
He frowned. 'You don't remember?'
I shook my head.
'Ella...'
And that's when it hit me. I'd managed to get Jack Barakat, the boy I'd been dating for about 4 months, into my bed. Or, more like, any bed.
'What?!'
'Ella, I thought you knew what you were doing!' He argued. He was fully dressed, probably cleaning up.
'I...' I didn't know. I couldn't argue with him simply because I had no arguments. I should've known what I was doing.
'You don't have any regrets, do you?' He sounded upset.
'Not at all. It was so... Unexpected.'
'You haven't done this before??'
'Never.'
'Wow...'
I shrugged, gathering the cover around me and closing the bathroom door. Jack was safely locked in there now, and I could change.
Essentially, nothing had changed. I was still Ella Dawson, 17 with hazel eyes and honey coloured hair, and I was still dating Jack Barakat. Nothing felt different. A far cry from the movies; no arguments, no tears, just the air of surprise drifting over us like a rain cloud.

JACK POV
'I can't leave her.'
'Yes, you can. You left Carly.' Alex reminded me.
'I know, but... This is different.'
'Different?' Rian queried.
'Yeah.'
'How?' Alex demanded.
'It took Carly like a week to... You know...' I raised my eyebrows to suggest. 'It took Ella 4 and a half. It's different.'
'4 and a half? Seriously?' Zack looked at me, surprised.
'Yep. And get this, just before, she asked me what I'd do if she was pregnant. She's just started to trust me. I think it's her past.' I frowned. 'Her family screwed her over, her friends screwed her over and there's something not right between her and Cris. She had a hard time trusting me when we met... No hugs, just her glaring at me. And now that she trusts me.. I need to be there for her.'
'For what? She's not dying.'
'Her mom. You heard her yesterday, screaming.' We'd spent all day together after she woke up and eventually split up to head home about half an hour ago.
'We never take girls on tour...' Alex sighed. 'I love Ella, but she can't come.'
'Why not?! She doesn't complain.'
'She's a girl.'
'And if she were in the band, that'd be fine?'
'Jack, don't do this.'
'Please, Alex? I'll work extra hard, I swear. It's just... I need to be with her. She's broken.'
Zack laughed.
'Shut up, Zack, I didn't mean it like that!'
'Sure.'
I turned back to Alex. 'I'm being serious. She's... Half a person. Sometimes I catch her just.. Staring. Not at anything. Like a doll. It's scary. I need to be with her.'
'Discuss it with Matt, not me.' Alex shook his head. 'You're insane. Rian never says anything about Kara.'
'But Kara isn't Ella.' Rian butted in. 'Kara's independent, and she has family. Ella's... Well, broken.' He glared at Zack, who started giggling. 'She doesn't have family. We're all she has.'
'Fine!' Alex threw his hands up and laughed. 'How're you gonna tell her?'
'When her mom's around, definitely.'
I grinned. Ella was coming on tour with us!

ELLA POV
I changed quickly into a camisole and cardigan, before a quick pull on of jeans and sandals. I grabbed my tote bag and sunglasses before a quick look in the mirror and tada. I was ready.
I met Jack on the corner of his street. 'Hey.' I wrapped my arms around him quickly.
Over the past few days, he'd been avoiding me. That hurt. He was leaving tomorrow, and ... Avoiding me?
'Hey.'
'You're leaving tomorrow.' I traded his lips for one of his hands and we walked aimlessly along the street.
'I need to tell you something.' He was excited.
'What?' I smiled, and stopped walking and he immediately took me into his arms.
'When's your mom gonna be around next?'
'Uh, tonight. Why? Do you wanna come for dinner?'
'Yeah, sure. I have news for you.'
Tonight was the first time Jack would eat with me, mom and Mason. I brushed my hair and bit my lip. He was leaving. He was really going.
Determined not to cry, I got up and sat down at the small dining room table. Jack'd be here any second.
'Hey!'
He was already here.
'Hi.' I smiled and pecked his cheek before pulling the chair next to me out. He slid into it and shrugged.
'Hello, Jack.' Mom smiled uncertainly before sitting down. I'd noticed she was taking a bit more interest in me.
'Hey.' He smiled, but the second her attention was diverted, I heard him mutter 'faggot' under his breath. I giggled.
We were eating dessert (strawberry ice cream and marshmallows) when he threw down his spoon.
'Ella, I need to tell you something.'
'Go ahead.' I was acutely aware of mom and Mason silently sitting, watching us curiously.
'You know I'm going on tour? Well, I pulled a few strings, and the guys managed to pull a seat for you. You're coming on tour!'
I gasped. On tour, with Jack? My boyfriend? The guy who spent hours in my head? Elated, I threw my arms around him, and kissed him. His hands immediately went for my waist, and we stood like that for a few seconds before Mom intervened.
'No.'
I turned and glared at her. 'No?'
'I say no.'
'I'm legally allowed to do whatever I please.' I reminded her.
'I don't care. You're only 17.'
'It's ok for you to leave me for days, even weeks, at a time to screw around with Mason, but I can't stay with my boyfriend? Wow, totally cool.'
'I said no.' She repeated.
'You were never there for me. I'm going.'
Jack held up a hand before she could retaliate. 'She's going.'
I grinned, staring up at him with wide, adoring eyes.