8 Key Differences Between Netflix's "Along For the Ride" and the Sarah Dessen Book

Not long after Auden and Eli's argument, Auden's friend Maggie calls Auden with the surprise news that Eli is about to compete in a BMX contest. Auden rushes to the park in time to watch and takes him aside afterwards so they can clear the air. Later, it's revealed that Eli is coming out of retirement, and he ultimately moves to Barcelona to fulfill a longtime dream and start seriously competing. This differs from the book, where Auden never watches Eli compete in person — she only finds out that he's riding publicly again from a video she watches with Maggie and their friends Esther and Leah. That, along with her newfound anger at Robert for leaving Heidi, is what inspires her to approach Maggie about learning to ride a bike.