Gina's POV:

I think I have a crush on E.J Caswell and it hasn't even been a full day with him. He's not who I expected him to be. He's not the celebrity Carlos or Ashlyn says he is. He's not the same guy on all the billboards and magazines. He's a nice guy and he genuinely cares about me even though we just ran into each other the other day. He's different than Howie, Big Red, Carlos, and Seb. E.J is accepting and he's a little emotional and he can be cocky but that's only because he's famous. He didn't know what diabetes was at first but he was willing to learn and that matters to me. I think he's more than a friend to me but I can't tell him that because he's famous. He has his own life.

I've never been in love before or even had a crush but I think I like E.J Caswell more than a friend. I know that people in the movies fall in love at first sight or in one day but my life is certainly not like the movies.

"Gina, what are you thinking about? You aren't watching the movie," E.J nudged my shoulder and paused my laptop that was playing Princess Protection Program.

"Hmm? Oh just thinking about my dad," I reply and press play on my laptop again.

"Oh ok, thanks again for letting me stay another night. You know I'm trying to avoid my parents and paparazzi," I hear E.J say to me but I'm back to focusing on the movie.

"Thanks for complimenting my work at dinner," I reply quietly and focus on my laptop.

"No problem. I meant what I said at dinner. Your work is really good. You are definitely getting into FIT. ," I listen to E.J say but I'm too distracted by the movie.

"You're um meter thing is beeping," I hear E.J say but I'm watching the movie and trying not to think about him.

"Oh uh thanks," I get up off my bed and stand up to check my meter.

Yup, just as I suspected my glucose reading is 240 from that pudding and whipped cream. I take a moment to press some buttons on my pump to give some insulin then hop back into bed.

"You good?" I look over to E.J who is relaxing on my bed and messing with his hair again.

What is with him and his hair? He's like obsessed with it.

"Yeah my glucose reading is just high from the pudding. I gave myself insulin though," I say as I grab my water bottle from my nightstand and take a sip.

"Well, I hope you are okay. Can you teach me more about these glucose reading and highs and lows?," E.J pauses the movie again and sits up against one of my pillows.

"Well I'm not a medical expert but I can try to explain what it feels like to you," I hesitate and smile since he's actually interested in something other than his hair.

"Ok, I'm listening," I watch as E.J sits across from me on my bed.

See another thing that I like about him is that he listens, even though sometimes he cuts me off. Like last night.

"Well when my glucose reading is low I feel cold and shaky. Sometimes if its too low like below 70 I feel dizzy or I don't feel good. And when my glucose reading is high like about 200, I feel thirsty and tired. I get low readings when I've worked too much or walked too much and high reading when I sit too long or eat too much carb or sugar. It's different for every person who has diabetes," I say as E.J sits there and listens to me.

For a second, I forget that he's famous. He's understanding and willing to learn. I like those kind of people.

"And you have the meter because you don't feel when your glucose reading drops right?" E.J sits there and looks at me happily.

"Correct, you have a good memory," I smile at him.

"Wow, I didn't know it was that complicated. I thought that you just had some needles in you and pressed some buttons on a pump," E.J said while sitting on my bed.

"Yeah, that's what most people at school think, but it's more like I do all this to live and they just stare at me at lunch," I sigh and half smile at him.

"I'm sorry that must be rough to have to do that at lunch everyday," I hear E.J say as he scoots closer to me on the bed even though it only fits one person.

"No need to be sorry, my friends have gotten used to me having to press buttons on my pump and stop to get juice when I'm low. They don't stare. They just continue to eat their lunches and talk to me. Except for Carlos he talks about you or he talks to his boyfriend, Seb, most of the time," I smile back at him.

"That's good," I hear E.J say but I'm too busy looking into his eyes.

"So uh besides music what kinds of movies have you been in? Carlos told me that you might be in another movie but it hasn't been announced yet. He's high key obsessed with you. I need an autograph for him," I giggle at the last part and look at him.

"Well I was in a film with Nini-Salazar Roberts called, Begin Again, but other than that, nothing else. My mom thinks its a good idea for me to be in a big blockbuster film to increase my publicity though that's why I mentioned self tapes," E.J says casually as if he doesn't care.

"Oh, Nini that girl that Carlos said you were dating?," I say to him and take my teddy bear to fidget with him.

Carlos knows everything about E.J Caswell that's why he's the president of the Caswell Club.

"Yeah but it's just a publicity stunt my team did after the film, we aren't really dating the world just thinks we are. I broke up with her but she keeps texting me. I think her team thinks its still a publicity stunt or she's obsessed with me. I don't know I don't talk to her anymore," E.J looks at me straight in the eyes and shrugs his shoulders.

"Oh, I'm sorry no wonder why you don't check phone," I sigh and reach over to rub his shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm still 17. I'm under my team's contract till I turn 18 and get new managers that aren't my parents," E.J says sadly to me.

"Oh," I reply since I don't really understand the entertainment industry.

"I don't really want to do a big blockbuster movie. I want to write my own music and produce it. I want my own dream. I thought I had my dream when I became famous but now I just want to scream at my parents and have friends again," I listen to E.J as he talks about his life.

Dang, I thought that we weren't going to get emotional again but I guess not? His life seems just as hard as mine. I don't like to compare struggles but now I'm hearing about the truth about the entertainment industry and I am realizing that he's not Mr. superstar like everyone says he is.

"I'm sorry that sounds tough. I know how hard it is to tell your parents what you want and not what they want. You've already seen it with my dad," I sigh and lean over closer to hug him.

This time our embrace is warm and comforting a few tears slip from my eyes and he wipes them away. I don't say anything about it and just press play on Princess Protection Program again.

"I'm glad you're my friend," I hear E.J whisper and I just nod to agree with him while I let go of our embrace and cuddle with my teddy bear instead.

After the movie ends, I get out of bed and grab him another toothbrush and small tube of toothpaste from my bathroom. They were little samples from the dentist office anyway.

"Here's a toothbrush and toothpaste again. You can just wear Seb's pajamas like you did last night," I hand him the toothbrush and toothpaste.

"You know you don't have to do this just because you feel bad about my situation," I look over at E.J who is headed to the bathroom to change.

"I'm not doing this out of pity. I'm doing this because I'm your friend and I care about you and your mental health," I say as I close the bathroom door so he can have some privacy.

"Thanks again for everything," I look up from the book I was reading and see E.J come out of the bathroom.

"No problem. I told you this is what friends do," I nod my head and put my book on my nightstand.

"What book are you reading?" I watch as E.J sits on the floor that has my spare pink bed sheets and a pillow as he lays down.

"To all the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han. It's a young adult romance," I look down at him looking uncomfortable sitting on my spare sheets.

"What's it about?" E.J looks up at me as I sit up on my bed.

"Well you'll just have to read it to find out," I smile at him.

"I don't read books," I hear E.J say as I fake gasp and fake faint on my bed.

"Gina, Gina, are you okay?" I look up from my fake fainting position as he shakes my shoulder.

"No, I am not okay. You just told me that you don't read books," I look at him at hit him with my pillow.

"Owww! What was that for?" I listen to E.J and watch him as he rubs his shoulder where I hit him.

"Have you ever read a book before? How do you not read books?" I glare at him and this time I am serious.

"I read books for classes when I was a freshman and sophomore before "A Billion Sorrys" went viral. I haven't had time in the past two years to even sit down and breathe. How can I read a book when there's always a poster to sign or an interview to go to?," I hear E.J say as he sits back down on his makeshift bed on my floor.

"Oh true, You do have a point. I'm sorry for hitting you with my pillow. I just really like books and I can't stand people who don't read them," I look at him sadly.

It's not that I'm letting him stay over because I feel bad for him but because I enjoy his company. Even though he doesn't read books.

"It's okay, go get ready for bed. Maybe I'll try to read a book off your shelf while I wait," I hear E.J reply while I head to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth.

I actually don't mind that he's touching my bookshelf. I like it when a guy is interested in learning or appreciating the same things I like to do. I think its cute and admirable.

After I do my night routine and skin care routine, I go unlock the bathroom door and see him laying on his back on the floor reading one of my books upside down.

"Which one did you choose? Can you even read it upside down?" I sit on my bed and giggle at him.

"Eliza and Her Monsters. I liked the cover," I watch as E.J puts the book back on my bookshelf.

"Oooh that one's one of my favorites. It has to do with storytelling and anxiety. You could borrow it if you want," I offer to him and almost forget that he's famous.

"It's okay like I said I don't have time to read books," I listen to E.J say as he lays back down on the floor.

"Ok it was just an offer. Goodnight E.J," I get into bed and then clap my hands to turn the lights off.

"Goodnight Gina," I hear E.J say but my eyes are already closed.

After a few minutes of trying to go to sleep, I hear E.J stir around on the floor.

"Gina, are you awake?" I hear him say from the floor as I open my eyes to stare at the dark ceiling.

"Yeah why? What's wrong?" I stare at my ceiling.

"Nothing," I hear E.J say as I try to close my eyes again.

"I can't sleep," I hear E.J mumble from the floor.

"Neither can I," I sit up in bed and undo my sheets.

"What are you thinking about?" I hear E.J whisper from the floor.

"Nothing," I whisper down to him.

"Are you thinking about what your dad said? I'm sorry for saying that Project Runway stuff," I hear E.J say as I watch him sit up from the floor.

I am thinking about that but I'm also thinking about how much fun I had with E.J today.

"Sometimes when I can't sleep I listen to the quiet till I actually do fall asleep," I mumble as I get back into bed and fix my sheets.

"It's like the world stops for just a few hours so we don't have to think about anything while we sleep. It's a nice feeling. Like time is frozen and you don't have to worry or talk to parents about your dream school," I close my eyes and lay back in bed.

"Yeah I get that," I hear E.J say as I hear him lay back down on the ground.

"Gets me thinking," I say as I open my eyes again since I can't sleep.

"About what?" I hear E.J say even though I'm laying in bed.

"Life. What if I didn't get diagnosed with diabetes? Would I just be a normal teenage girl without a dream to design accessible dresses for the runway?" I lay on my pillow and whisper so he can barely he hear me.

Before E.J can respond, I continue on with what I was going to say.

"Like how nothing is really real in the entertainment industry. What if you never wrote "A Billion Sorrys"? What would your dream be then?" I keep whispering hoping that he can't hear me.

"I've never thought about it like that," I hear E.J whisper from the floor.

"Like how who we are, who people think we are , who we choose to be are all based off of our experiences. How it just seems so fake until you have to face your battles on your own. Because at the end of the day it doesn't really matter. You know? We can't time travel and change what happened to us. I know it doesn't make any sense but I think about it all the time," I say in a normal voice as I look up at my ceiling.

"No, I get it. I understand everything you said perfectly fine," I hear E.J say as his voice cracks.

"My whole life is like that. It's based off of what the fans and media think of me. Not who I want to be or what I want to wear or do. People always tell me that I'm the luckiest teenager in the world and that I have a lot of money. It's 24/7. Even when I'm sleeping. Somebody is always watching me for my next move or to hear what I have to say. It's like I'm their puppet. I always have to be careful, you know? So these past 24 hours have been the only time I've ever felt free in the past two and a half years. I'm thankful for running into you at that pizza place. If I never met you I would have still been stuck in that rat maze I call life," I hear E.J say from the floor as I open my mouth to gasp and quickly close it.

"Maybe that's why I can't sleep? Because I want this moment to last forever," I hear E.J say from the floor.

"Yeah I mean, just the other day you were the guy on the radio with the annoying voice," I whisper and stare the ceiling.

"Hey! I do not have an annoying voice," I hear E.J say from the floor as I giggle a bit at his reaction.

"Yeah but now you're lying on my floor and I should think that it's weird but its not. Not really. Because at the end of the day you're just a guy like my co- worker, Howie. A normal guy," I sigh and stare at the ceiling.

"Gee thanks for calling me normal," I hear E.J from the floor.

"You know what I mean though. You're a teenager who wants to have fun with his friends and do the work you want to do. You have a dream. You're nothing like Howie," I say as I keep staring at my ceiling.

"Yeah I guess so," I hear E.J say as he shuffles around on the floor.

"Goodnight Gina," I hear E.J say as I close my eyes and fall asleep.

A/N: portwell shippers read: "wouldn't change a thing" in my summertime madness book pls