Meant to Be

October 17th

The next morning, Bucky's words were heavy on her mind. Sure last night they'd laughed them off, but they weren't meant to be a joke. He was willing to distance himself for the sake of her relationship. She appreciated it, but the problem was, she didn't want him to have meant what he said. She didn't want to not see him. That fact alone was pushing her ever closer to a decision. It had barely been two months since she'd met him, but she spoke to him almost every day since he appeared at her house after swim practice. Even on weekends, she found herself texting him, and every time he replied she caught herself smiling down at her phone. He was addictive. Without ever meaning to, he left her wanting more. Except now, more meant more than what friendship alone could offer.

She knew what the solution to that particular problem was. End it with Christian, sooner rather than later. But that brought up its own set of problems.

Ella decided it was time to call in support, she needed to talk this out, she'd always been like that. Actually discussing her problems always got her to a resolution quicker than thinking things over alone.

Nat and Wanda had stayed over the night before, so she dragged them into her room. She thought about just talking it over with Wanda later, there was a good chance she wasn't quite ready for Nat's blunt honesty, but in the end she decided she needed Nat too. The three of them laid shoulder to shoulder on Ella's bed, squeezed together on top of the blue paisley sheets. It was like having the angel and the devil sitting on her shoulders.

She gave them a briefing.

"I just need to figure out how I feel about Christian, away from Bucky. So you have permission to be completely honest," she shot Nat a pointed look, "just don't be mean."

Her two friends nodded in understanding, and Nat dived straight in. She finally had the green light she'd been waiting for.

"You know what I'm going to say first, he's boring Ella. He bores you, don't deny it. I mean tell me when you've ever seen a high school relationship where someone is bored. You're like the only person to ever have this problem, I swear. High school relationships are all emotion, first loves and heartbreaks, and yet you look like you've been married twenty years."

"I agree, but he was there for you through all the hardest bits over the last few years, so it makes sense why your relationship isn't as light and fun, and it doesn't mean it won't change if you try. Maybe you'd be giving up too quickly," Wanda countered.

"It's nearly been two years Wanda, this wouldn't exactly count as making a rash decision. I mean, I know Bucky changed things, and we probably wouldn't be having this conversation yet if it weren't for him. But take him out of the equation, you still know Christian isn't right for you anymore. You're not the same person as you were in freshman year when you got with him. You're more fun and carefree, and I just think no matter how hard you try with Christian, he'll never be like that."

Nat and Ella looked to Wanda for her response.

"I'm sorry, Ella. But I agree with Nat. I just think Christian will end up holding you back. He's great, he is, he's been so supportive, but you just don't need that anymore. You need something else entirely."

The three of them let quiet sink in, Ella thinking their words over. Sometimes she couldn't believe just how lucky she was to have friends like Nat and Wanda.

"I love you guys," she smiled. "And I just want to say thank you. It's been really hard since Laura...me and Steve couldn't have got through it without you."

Wanda leant her head on Ella's shoulder as she spoke, "we love you too."

"Okay, it's breakfast time, I'm starving," Ella announced as she sat up before her stomach made a perfectly timed growl.