44

                                    

                                          
THE GROCERY STORE WAS crowded. Ella walked around, leaning on her shopping cart, holding the list up so she could find the products she needed. Ava was walking beside her, glancing at the list every now and then to take something off the shelf, Will and Mia in front of her still happily talking about their favorite fruit.
                          
"Send me a picture of half of the list," Ava said as she read the list," I'll look for the best and cheapest products." She pointed at Will. "Don't leave him alone though, I adore him but the little bumblebee just picks whatever has bright colors." 
                          
"Did you just call me a bumblebee?" Will said, looking touched. 
                          
Ava flashed him a smile and was off then, Mia waiting so Ella could catch up to them.  
                          
"Can I help?" she said. 
                          
"Let's see," Ella said as she held the list up," I need some milk and eggs as well." 
                          
"It's been a long time since I've bought eggs," Mia said as they turned the corner. 
                          
"Are you vegan?" Ella said," I'll take that into account with the groceries." 
                          
"Ah, no," Mia said shyly," you're sweet though. My aunt just owns several eco-friendly farms, she's quite passionate about the environment." 
                          
"As she should be," Will nodded. 
                          
Mia's eyes twinkled as she looked at Will, a smile tugging at her lips. "As she should be indeed." 
                          
"I want a farm too," Will pouted," I just think hugging a sheep would really complete my life." 
                          
"You can always visit," she offered. 
                          
In response he flashed her a grin, in that cheeky way of his which always told her he was up to no good. 
                          
"Watch out," he said," I probably won't leave after." 
                          
When Mia's cheeks bloomed red Ella knew the girl probably wouldn't want Will to leave either way, but she wasn't about to cause any trouble. She wondered how Will's dating life was though; Alex' was blindingly obvious all over the place and Levi was usually unable to tolerate people longer than an hour, but she had no idea what Will was like. It was hard to imagine him as a player of some kind, but she didn't doubt that he was popular with the ladies. Hell, Mia was more into him than Ava had been into Trevor and they only had met yesterday. 
                          
"You and Elisabeth are staying for dinner right?" Ella asked. 
                          
"As long as we're not a bother," Mia said," so if you're sure we aren't, I'd love to come." 
                          
"Of course not," Ella said," we need as many people as possible to buffer my mother's anger towards Seb before she actually kills him." 
                          
Mia laughed, before stopping when Will nodded solemnly. 
                          
"That was a joke, right?" she said. 
                          
"It is unfortunately not," Ella said amusedly," but it's still funny to me, so it's fine." 
                          
Her phone went off and she frowned, wondering who was calling her. When she fished it out of her pocket she noticed Levi's name on top and she accepted his Facetime, smiling as she saw him. He was still in bed, the bags under his eyes dark and his eyes as dead as ever. Bruises were scattered across his chest and shoulders, the cut through his eyebrow having dried up. 
                          
"Did you finally snap on me last night?" he said, gesturing at the wounds. 
                          
"Yes," she said," I had enough of that scowl of yours so I slashed right through your eyebrow, like one does." 
                          
He shook his head, a twinkle of amusement in his eye. When someone would have told her at the start of the camp that Levi would actually make a joke, she wouldn't have believed it, but now she even found him funny. Miracles did come true, she supposed.