𝐈 𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐃𝐎 ― e. caswell ⁴ ✓

001

"Never took you for a green girl."

"Well, try again," Violetta absentmindedly responded before grabbing a random pair of jeans and setting both down on her chair for the next day. "That was . . . actually easier than I thought."

"I told you you had things to wear," EJ stated.

Violetta rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah." She grabbed her phone and flopped down on her bed, her curls spilling around her. "How're you liking college so far, by the way?"

"I like it a lot. I'm glad I still didn't take that gap year."

Oh, right. EJ's original plan had been to take a gap year, but after the falling out with his dad, they had split. EJ was now working four jobs to help him pay for college plus starting some extracurriculars It wasn't ideal, but Violetta was really proud of him. Don't tell him she said that, though.

"Good, I'm glad," Violetta said. She let out a breath and stared at the ceiling. "It's crazy to think that it's my last year of high school. Like, how did I get here? It still feels like I was in elementary school throwing erasers at Ricky when he wasn't looking."

"Did you really do that?"

"Oh, yeah, it was my favorite pastime activity."

EJ shook his head. "Siblings." He then sighed. "Enjoy it, V. I mean it. It's gonna fly by. I mean, look what happened to me."

Violetta scrunched her nose a little at him. "It's gonna be so weird not having you there, though. I had just gotten used to having you around."

"I'm always a call away, you know that." EJ stared at her for a moment. "You're going to be okay, Violetta."

Her eyebrows knit in confusion. "Yeah, I know. Where'd that come from?"

"Because I also got really anxious my first day of senior year," EJ told her.

She blinked. "You? Mr. Cool Guy? You were so . . . arrogant."

"That was just a front. And I also know you tend to get in your head sometimes, so this is me telling you it's going to be fine."

Violetta nodded slightly. "Yep, got it, thanks." She rubbed her eye with the back of her hand. "After Frozen, I don't think things can get any worse. Like, there's no way they're filming at East High."

"Oh, definitely not," EJ agreed. His eyes then flickered up for a moment. "It's actually getting pretty late, and I have class tomorrow and it's your first day of school . . ."

"Right." Violetta waved to the camera. "I'll see you later."

EJ smiled at her. "Get some sleep, V. Goodnight."

"Night, Eej."

He then hung up the phone. Violetta let her arm fall to the side, still holding her phone as she stared at the ceiling. She rolled her head over to her bedside table, which still had a picture of her and EJ framed on it, one that she couldn't find the heart in her to move — she was smiling brightly, leaning backwards with her arms around his neck while he had his arms around her waist, a smile on his face as his cheek rested against her temple. As she stared at it, there was only one thought in her mind.

Uh oh, I'm falling in love again.

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"I'M TELLING YOU, we should just skip," Violetta insisted.

It was no secret that Violetta hated waking up early. Summer was supposed to be a time of sleeping in, but she had to get up early at camp on most days, and now she was back in school where she had to wake up early every single day. All she wanted to do was go back to sleep, but she couldn't, because she was currently walking outside of East High.