ELLY
After talking to the manager, he directs us to the wide, open room where we'll meet the fans at. Photo backgrounds have already been set up against multiple walls, but nobody else is in here.
Not too long later, everyone else walks in along with the manager. We start getting directed towards where we're supposed to be standing around the room, and after a few minutes of standing around, fans come in the room. I take a last glance at everyone and happen to make eye contact with Jaden. A look of anger and sadness crosses his face when he sees me, but he turns away quickly. I roll my eyes and turn back around, plastering a smile on my face.

After the event when all the fans have left, piles of gifts are sitting behind us all. The manager comes back in as we start grabbing all of our things to head out of the venue.
"You got a lot." I turn to see Anthony next to me, his arms full of small gifts as I begin picking up mine.
"You did, too," I reply. I stand back up with bags along my wrists and some boxes stacked in between. I look down and see I still have teddy bears and sweatshirts on the floor.
"Not as much as you." Anthony looks behind him. "Griffin, get over here and help your sister carry all of her gifts."
"Bossy," I hear Griffin mutter before he heads over to us. He's carrying all of his items in one arm when he picks up my remaining items with a sigh.
"I was just being helpful. See you guys later," Anthony says before leaving the room with everyone. Griffin nudges my shoulder, and we start heading out, too.
"You seemed to have a good time," Griffin tells me. "Did it go well?"
"Yeah. Everyone was really nice."
"Clearly." Griffin gestures to all of my gifts. I start laughing as we get outside to a couple of Ubers pulled up. I'm about to get in one behind Griffin when an arm tugs me back. I turn around and see Noen standing outside the vehicle.
"Can we talk?" he asks.
"Now?"
"Yeah."
I sigh and turn to Griffin, who's begun talking to someone else inside the vehicle. "I'll see you later."
"Where you going, El?"
"We are going to walk back. It's only a couple of blocks," Noen says from behind me. I smile at Griffin and close the door before he can argue or protest.
"So we're walking?" I ask with a sigh as we watch the vehicles pull out of the parking lot.
"As long as that's fine with you. I just figured it would give us some private time to talk." Noen looks down at me with a hopeful smile on his face. I give him a smile in return, and we start off down the sidewalk for the couple-block walk back to the hotel.
"So, what do you want to talk about?" I ask.
Noen sighs deeply. "Elly, I wanted to talk about us."
"Us?" I ask with a small smile on my face.
"Yeah. Us," Noen says quietly. I realize he stopped, so I stop, too, and look up at him. His face looks sad when he meets my gaze, but he quickly looks away and shakes his head. My heart breaks when he looks back at me with tears in his eyes.
"What is it, Noen?"
"I don't know what last night was supposed to be, and-and I'm sorry for leading you on, but I'm kind of with Abby." Tears are already running down my face, but Noen doesn't see them. "I already told her what happened, let her know what went on with you and Jaden, and she understood that I was just trying to help."
"B-But Noen," I sputter out, reaching for words to try and say something.
"I'm sorry, Elly, but I don't want this to continue before we get too far." He gives me a sad smile. "I'm going to go ahead and head back to the hotel."
"Noen," I call as he starts walking off. A large group walks out of the store along the sidewalk, separating us. I try to call to him over the crowd, and I know he hears me, but he must be ignoring me. For a brief second, Noen turns around, and I see tears running down his face, too. He turns the corner, and I lose sight of him.