- 2 hours ago
The Prank That Broke Us Hd Series
Category
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Short filmTranscript
00:05when i woke up i was a prop in their prank zip tied to the goal post on the school's
00:09football
00:09field students walking by laughed at me filmed tiktoks and someone even threw a milkshake at me
00:14i was tied up in front of everyone for two whole hours when my best friend leo finally showed up
00:20savannah said she wanted to see a real life horror movie prank so we just played a little joke ellie
00:24you're not actually mad are you we grew up together you know me better than anyone i just stared at
00:28him silently i guess my dignity was just something to be sacrificed for someone else's entertainment
00:33i transferred schools the next day and leo lost his fucking mind please ellie it was just a prank
00:40don't be like this after gym class i was just walking out of the equipment room when the
00:45football players surrounded me leo carter the boy next door i'd known my whole life was leading them
00:53leo knocked me unconscious and tied me to the goal post of the football field for two whole
00:59hours leaving me to be watched and mocked by everyone finally leo arrived he still had that
01:05same cocky smirk he always wore hands shoved in his jean pockets he strolled over like he was just
01:08there to watch the show the rest of the football team his accomplices followed behind him and so
01:12did sienna miller she was wearing a pink sundress her long hair flowing over her shoulders like every
01:15strand of her hair was glowing oh my god you guys actually did it that's insane the excitement she
01:20couldn't hide in her voice made my blood run cold so my pain was just her entertainment
01:24of course savannah asks savannah gets it was a gentle tone i had never heard from him before me
01:31he walked up to the goal post and looked up at me the setting sun cast a golden glow on
01:35his face
01:35the features were so familiar but right now he was a complete stranger the eyes i once thought would
01:41protect me forever now only held mockery so how's the view from up there ellie he was still joking
01:46as if i wasn't a person but a toy all right all right joke's over let's get her down he
01:51said it so
01:51casually like he was commenting on the weather a couple of his teammates clumsily untied the ropes
01:55no one cared if i would get hurt i crashed hard onto the grass the impact knocked the wind out
02:00of
02:00me and i felt like my lungs had collapsed every bone in my body ached i curled into a blob
02:04like a
02:05dying insect leo crouched down and ripped the bandage off my face the pain of the tape tearing at my
02:09skin
02:10made me gasp when he saw my red swollen eyes he paused for a second for a moment i thought
02:14i saw a
02:15flicker of regret i thought he would apologize what are you crying for it was just a prank we used
02:19to prank
02:19each other all the time he said it so lightly as if this was just like any other joke but
02:23he forgot
02:24our old pranks never involved destroying someone's dignity they never involved humiliating someone
02:28in front of hundreds of people they were never this cruel i stared at him saying nothing my throat
02:32felt like it was stuffed with cotton i couldn't get a single word out it wasn't that i didn't want
02:37to speak i just didn't know what to say how do you question 16 years of friendship how do you
02:41put
02:41this betrayal into words my stare made him uncomfortable don't look at me like that it's creepy his
02:46starting eyes gave away his guilt savannah said yesterday she wanted to film a cool halloween
02:50prank video so we thought it's not a big deal you're fine right but i didn't make a sound i
02:55just gave leo one last look in that look was 16 years of friendship countless happy memories and in
02:59that moment it was over heard his voice behind hey eleanor vance where are you going stop being mad
03:03okay i didn't turn back my steps were shaky but firm every step felt like walking on knives but i
03:08couldn't stop if i stopped i was afraid i would break down i would sob uncontrollably right in front of
03:12him and if that happened i would have truly lost lost everything when i got home i went straight to
03:17the bathroom as i took off my clothes i saw the bruises and wentz covering my body they were
03:24horrifying i stood under the scalding water scrubbing my skin over and over trying to wash off the
03:30milkshake to wash off the humiliation trying to wash away every trace of leo but i couldn't
03:36the laughter still echoed in my ears the malicious stares still crawled on my skin and leo's careless
03:43words it was just a prank they replayed in my mind like a curse the hot water sting my wounds
03:48making
03:48me shiver but the pain was good it kept me lucid it reminded me that this wasn't a nightmare this
03:53was
03:53real leo really did use me as a toy to impress savannah my mom knocked on the door ellie you've
03:59been in
03:59there a while don't run up the water bill honey i turned off the shower coming out now my voice
04:05was
04:05so hoarse it didn't sound like my own mom must have gone to her book club because she didn't
04:10notice anything was wrong that was for the best i didn't want to explain how could i explain tell
04:14her that the person i trusted most in the world had betrayed me tell her i was tied up like
04:18a clown on
04:19the school's goalpost no i couldn't bring myself to say it the girl in the mirror was a mess my
04:24face
04:24was pale my lips colorless the marks on my wrists were deep in a sickening shade of purple red like
04:29they were carved into my bones i took out the antiseptic and started cleaning them bit by bit
04:33it hurt a piercing pain but it was nothing compared to the pain in my heart 16 years i'd known
04:39leo for
04:3916 years our families lived on the same street our parents were old friends our moms went shopping
04:45together our dads had barbecues on weekends we were in the same class since kindergarten he cried his
04:50eyes out on the first day and i was the one who gave him a piece of chocolate after that
04:55he followed
04:56me around like a little shadow ellie wait for me ellie you can have this ellie we're gonna be
05:02together forever back then leo's eyes were so bright his smile so pure he was the troublemaker and i was
05:08the good girl who always listened when he got into trouble i covered him when the teacher asked who broke
05:13the classroom window i said it was me it was him practicing his baseball swing he hated studying so
05:18i tutored him before final exams i'd give him all my meticulously organized notes then i'd stay up all
05:23night making a new set for myself he used to say ellie you're the best i'm going to make you
05:27my
05:28bride someday i'd blush and say who would want to marry you but secretly my heart would flutter i
05:32thought we were best friends the closest partners i even secretly hoped for more i hoped that one day
05:39he would look at me seriously and say eleanor vars will you be my girlfriend but it turned out in
05:45his
05:46eyes i was just a toy he could humiliate whenever he wanted just a backup plan who would never leave
05:51to get savannah's attention he didn't hesitate to tie me to a goal post to make me the laughing
05:56stock of the whole school to trample all over my dignity my phone buzzed non-stop it was the
06:02school's gossip instagram page they had a new post i clicked on it mechanically someone had uploaded
06:08the videos from this afternoon in the video i was hanging there like a broken doll swaying every time
06:14the wind blew the comments were filled with lols and laughing crying emojis i'm dead eleanor got what
06:20was coming to her mummy of the year lol every comment felt like a slap in the face so this
06:26is what
06:27everyone thought of me i closed instagram on his story leo had posted two today's source of entertainment
06:33savannah are you satisfied the picture was of me tied to the post he even added a clown jeeping emoji
06:39savannah replied you guys are so bad i was just kidding around followed by three blushing emojis her
06:45comment was flooded with likes and hype leo you're the man anything for team savannah what's next
06:51if around two i shut off my phone my heart felt like a hollow empty space so my pain was
06:59their
07:00entertainment my dignity was their plaything and leo the one person i thought would always be on my side
07:08he was the one who had hurt me the most leo fell for her instantly or more accurately he was
07:15completely mesmerized from that day on savannah was all he could see he'd skip the last five minutes of
07:22his class just to save her the best table in the cafeteria before i was the one who always saved
07:27him
07:27a seat he'd drive halfway across town just to buy her breakfast all because she casually mentioned
07:34wanting to try donuts from some trendy new shop he would do anything to make her smile including tying
07:42me to a goal post if i stayed any longer i was afraid i would start crying i closed the
07:49door and the
07:50tears finally came they flowed silently like a dam breaking i covered my mouth trying not to make a sound
07:59i didn't want my parents to hear
08:03i opened my laptop and started researching how to transfer to a school in california
08:07i had to get out of here away from this suffocating place away from leo away from all the humiliation
08:15and mockery there was a great high school in california near where my aunt lived she'd asked me back in
08:20ninth grade if i wanted to move out there i said no back then i couldn't bear to leave home
08:27to leave leo
08:28looking back now it was pathetic the person i couldn't bear to leave had no problem hurting me
08:35my phone rang again it was leo i declined the call
08:41he called back i declined again after a dozen more times he sent a text
08:47stop sulking you want to go to six flags tomorrow i know you've been wanting to go
08:52fine my bad happy now ellie stop being mad i bought your favorite red velvet cupcakes want me to bring
08:59them over i didn't reply red velvet cupcakes did he really think a cupcake could fix everything
09:06he kept texting eleanor voss don't push it it was just a joke are you really this sensitive
09:13savannah already apologized to you what more do you want if you keep ignoring me i'm done with you
09:19eleanor fine whatever your choice so when an apology didn't work he resorted to threats
09:28that was leo always the center of his own universe he thought the whole world should revolve around him
09:35i blocked his number finally the world was quiet the moon outside my window was full and bright
09:44when we were little we used to sit on the swing in my backyard and watch the moon
09:47he'd say ellie doesn't the moon look like a giant block of cheese i'd say it looks like a silver
09:54plate
09:55he'd reply i'm hungry so everything looks like food and i'd give him the candy from my pocket
10:04those were good times but we could never go back the next morning i went to the school's
10:10administration office i found my guidance counselor to ask about transferring she was
10:13a kind-looking middle-aged woman with glasses eleanor transferring in the middle of your junior
10:16year can be tricky with credit transfers are you sure you want to do this now i i'm being
10:20bullied at this school the words were barely audible it took all my courage to say them out loud
10:24do you have any proof if this is true we will take it very seriously i opened my phone
10:29the videos were still there each one was a fresh nightmare watching them again was like
10:34stabbing myself in the heart but now they were my evidence the counselor's face grew darker and
10:38darker as she watched have you called the police i shook my head the police that meant tearing open
10:41my wounds for them to see list that suffocating shame over and over during an escape this is again
10:45the thought made me sick to my stomach i just want to transfer deep exhausting seeped into my bones
10:50as fast as possible i don't want to spend another second in this place leaving was enough it wasn't
10:54running away it was that they didn't deserve another second of my time or energy all right
10:58where do you want to transfer to palo alto high school in california it was one of the best high
11:03schools on the west coast it was also in the same school district as my aunt if i moved in
11:07with her
11:07i'd meet the residency requirements it had a great academic reputation free of all the bullshit drama
11:11palo alto high the academic pressure there is intense yes i've already confirmed with my aunt her
11:16address is within the school district as long as i provide proof of residency and the necessary
11:20documents they have to accept me just last month my aunt had asked if i wanted to move in with
11:24her
11:24and transfer she'd looked into it and with my grades getting into palo alto high was a sure thing
11:28i turned her down then i couldn't bear to leave home to leave leo how pathetic i saw myself as
11:36his
11:36whole world he saw me as a prop to entertain someone else the counselor was very sympathetic okay
11:42i'll get your official transcripts and vaccination records ready for you she contacted the new school
11:46that same day and helped expedite my paperwork the process will take a few business days
11:49you could be starting at your new school as early as next monday thank you my gratitude was genuine
11:54eleanor she called out as i was leaving when you get to your new school it's a fresh start
11:59forget about what happened here you deserve better my eyes welled up again the kindness of a stranger
12:06was more moving than the cruelty of someone i knew stepping out of the administration building
12:10the sunlight felt a little too bright i took a deep breath a new beginning was coming you can do
12:18this eleanor be careful and come home early after school mrs carter said we're having a barbecue in
12:24the backyard tonight okay i hadn't told my parents about the transfer i didn't want them to worry and
12:29i didn't want them to stop me i'd tell them once everything was settled school was the same as
12:33always except in ap calculus my classmates looked at me with a little more amusement in their eyes hey
12:38the mummy's here the whispers followed toilet paper today i heard leo went to see her yesterday and she
12:43gave him the cold shoulder she doesn't know what's good for her i walked to my seat with a blank
12:47expression let them say whatever they wanted this was my last day still mad he was trying to be
12:52charming but his eyes still held that same sense of entitlement as if my anger was just a childish
12:57tantrum i bought tickets to six flags for us want to go after school and i got your favorite red
13:01velvet
13:02cupcakes i promise you'll feel better after you have one i ignored him and took out my books i started
13:06to
13:06organize my things i cleared out everything that was mine from my locker not a single pen or eraser
13:10was left behind eleanor that's enough his voice was edged with impatience now i already said i was
13:14sorry what more do you want everyone was just having fun the other day look justin got his eyebrows
13:18shaved off yesterday and he wasn't mad i still didn't say a word i just kept packing just then
13:23savannah walked in she paused when she saw us morning then she smiled and walked over her voice was
13:27sickly sweet ellie are you okay i'm so sorry about the other day i was just talking that far it's
13:33fine i cut
13:33her off i didn't want to hear her fake apology and i didn't want to waste my last few hours
13:37here on
13:38her leo immediately jumped to her defense like a mother hen protecting her chick savannah already
13:43apologized just drop it she didn't mean any harm you know how she is she's so innocent she just
13:49speaks without thinking innocent i almost laughed out loud savannah was the most manipulative person i
13:55had ever met she played the victim on the surface but she was a master of scheming behind the scenes
14:00but leo bought her act completely i'm going to the restroom i stood up i needed to cool down
14:06otherwise i was afraid i'd lose control i was afraid i'd rip off savannah's fake mask in front of
14:12everyone in the restroom i looked at my reflection in the mirror my face was pale with dark circles under
14:18my eyes i hadn't slept well plagued by nightmares in my dream i was still tied to the goal poem
14:24everyone
14:24was laughing leo was laughing the hardest i woke up to a tear-soaked pillow i woke up to a
14:31tear-soaked
14:31pillow i splashed cold water on my face eleanor just one more day tomorrow you'll be free when i
14:39got back to the classroom leo and sarana were chatting happily she was sitting in my seat and
14:44they were leaning in close to each other leo was helping her with a math problem hand over hand kind
14:50of helping i stood at the doorway watching them quietly once he used to teach me like that the
14:55only difference was with me he was always impatient eleanor why are you so stupid you can't even solve
15:01a simple problem like this the bell rang i silently took an empty seat in the back row i didn't
15:09want
15:09to see them anymore i spent the whole morning in the back of the class at lunch i went to
15:14the school's
15:14vending machine i bought a ton of snacks the kind i usually never let myself buy buying so much today
15:19what's the occasion i'm in a good mood because i was about to be free i was about to leave
15:23this
15:24suffocating place during the last class of the day i packed up everything my books my stationery even
15:28the trash in my locker why are you cleaning everything out not coming back tomorrow or
15:31something i left nothing behind i wanted a break his tone was light still smiling but his joke hit the
15:36mark i glanced at him but didn't say anything there were so many things i wanted to say i want
15:39to ask
15:40why did you do that but in the end i asked nothing what was the point i already knew the
15:43answer
15:43the final bell rang i slung my backpack over my shoulder and took one last look at the classroom
15:48three years of my memories were in this room there was laughter there were tears but from today on
15:52none of it had anything to do with me anymore wait for me weren't we supposed to go to six
15:55flags i
15:55walked out without looking back eleanor what's with the attitude now i walked faster as soon as i was
15:59out of the school gates i got into my aunt's car she had flown all the way from california just
16:03to pick
16:03me up ready to go yeah then let's go the car pulled away from the curb in the rear view
16:07mirror i saw
16:08leo running out of the school he stood at the gate looking completely lonely lost he was still holding two
16:12tickets to the amusement park the wind blew through his hair and for a fraction of the pain i had
16:15felt
16:15goodbye leo and good riddus it was dark by the time we landed in california the five-hour flight
16:20was quiet i didn't say much my aunt didn't press me for details she just glanced at me from time
16:25to
16:25time her eyes were full of compassion her house was a 10 minute walk from the high school you can
16:30stay
16:30with me for now once you get settled you can decide if you want to stay in the dorms thanks
16:35auntie
16:36don't be silly we're family she said gently stroking my hair her touch was so light as if she was
16:41afraid
16:41of hurting me my aunt's eyes blazed with anger when she mentioned leo she had seen the videos
16:45that little bastard is an absolute monster if you hadn't stopped me i would have called the carters
16:49and given them a piece of my mind she was so furious she almost called his parents right then
16:53and there i was the one who stopped her i didn't want a huge scene i just wanted to leave
16:57quietly
16:57it's all in the past now i forced a smile what do you mean in the past she said getting
17:01worked up do
17:02you have any idea how my heart broke when i saw those videos you're such a good kid eleanor you
17:07don't
17:07deserve to be treated like that auntie i'm okay things will be better now that night i turned off
17:12my phone i didn't want to see any messages i didn't want to know if leo was looking for me
17:16i
17:16didn't want to know if anyone at school had noticed i was gone i didn't want to know anything i
17:20just
17:21wanted a good night's sleep and for the first time in a long time i slept soundly no nightmares no
17:25waking up in a cold sweat no voices laughing at me no malicious stares just the faint sound of my
17:30aunt
17:30snoring softly from the next room it was comforting the next morning my aunt took me to the school to
17:34register palo alta high was much bigger than my old school the lawns were green and manicured and the
17:39hallways were filled with the quiet hum of learning there were no clucks no nasty pranks
17:42this is your new counselor miss bennett miss bennett was in her 30s with glasses and a warm smile
17:46eleanor vance is that right welcome to pal her smile was genuine not like the forced politeness
17:50of the teachers at my old school our academic de kivla team is looking for new members i really
17:54encourage you to try out i've seen your transcripts they're very impressive i was taken aback at my
17:59old school all the student government and club positions were held by savannah and her friends even
18:04though my grades were good no one ever considered me because i wasn't pretty enough or rich enough
18:07or popular enough really i was a little unsure of course your grades speak for themselves believe in
18:13yourself i walked into my new classroom 40 pairs of eyes turned to look at me there was no mockery
18:18no malice just simple curiosity hi everyone i'm eleanor vance it's nice to meet you all my voice was a
18:24little shaky but i tried to stay calm the class broke into applause it was warm and sincere the new
18:29girl is really pretty someone whispered pretty me and she's super smart too she seems really quiet
18:35no one called me a nerd no one called me a hanging on no one looked at me like i
18:40was a freak my seat
18:41was in the third row by the window the sun was shining and a gentle breeze blew in i'm chloe
18:46davis
18:46you can just call me chloe she had two dimples when she smiled ellie wow what a beautiful name
18:52eleanor like eleanor roosevelt strong and smart your parents must be really cool she was a talker as soon
18:57as the bell rang she was pulling me aside to give me the rundown of the class which teacher was
19:00strict which students were funny how friday pizza day in the cafeteria was the best which corner of
19:04the library was the best for writing papers in peace there are no real bullies at our school
19:07everyone's pretty chilled was your old school really strict or something you look so nervous
19:11it was okay i shook my head i didn't want to bring up the past well don't worry i've got
19:16your back
19:17now chloe said patting her chest if anyone messes with you they'll have to go through me first i
19:21listened to her a warm feeling spreading through my chest so this is what it felt like to be treated
19:26with kindness no need to be careful no need to walk on eggshells no need to worry about being
19:31disliked just simple genuine friendship meanwhile back in ohio leo was losing his mind eleanor had
19:37been missing since school let out yesterday her phone went straight to voicemail her texts weren't
19:41delivering he waited at the school gate until it got dark but she never came out she ran to the
19:44vance's
19:45house and mrs vance told him she'd gone to visit her aunt which aunt the one in california leo did
19:53you
19:53and ellie have a fight california that was so far away and wasn't today a school day a terrible
19:58feeling started to grow in the pit of leo's stomach no way eleanor wouldn't actually leave
20:02she was just mad at him she'd be back in a few days just like every other time they fought
20:05he tried to
20:05reassure himself the next day at school eleanor's seat was empty her locker was empty too nothing
20:11inside even the novels she always kept with her were gone excuse me do you know why eleanor vance
20:16isn't here today his voice was laced with panic the counselor gave him an odd look you don't know
20:21she transferred her tone was flat as if she were commenting about the weather boom leo's mind went
20:25completely blank transferred when did this happen why didn't she tell him why transferred where his
20:33voice was shaking palo alta high school in california so far away she was really gone because of that
20:40stupid prank impossible eleanor had been following him around since they were kids he could be a jerk to
20:47her and she would never get really mad she'd pout a little and he'd say a few nice things
20:52and everything would be fine how could she transfer over something so small how could she leave without
20:58saying a word to him how could she actually be done with him it had to be a lie leo
21:04pulled out his phone
21:05and dialed her familiar number again straight to voicemail he didn't give up he called again and again
21:09and again until the school bell rang still voicemail leo what's wrong eleanor transferred he looked like
21:15he'd seen a ghost what why but a flicker of triumph flashed in her eye why he wanted to know
21:20why too
21:21it was just a joke he'd pulled worse pranks on her before she never got this angry why this time
21:26leo
21:27thought back to yesterday after school the way eleanor had looked at him for the last time her eyes were
21:31calm cold like she was looking at a stranger there was no love in that look no hate nothing just
21:38a dead
21:39empty calm his heart suddenly clenched in his chest the pain was so sharp he had to bend over
21:44so this is what a broken heart felt like it was excruciating leo are you okay savannah asked trying
21:51to help him up her soft hand rested on his arm before that touch would have made his heart race
21:55now it just annoyed him don't fucking touch me he snarled shrugging her hand off savannah froze
22:01leo had never spoken to her like that before leo i said don't touch me he roared his eyes were
22:06bloodshot like a wounded animals the entire class turned to stare savannah's eyes welled up with tears
22:11but leo didn't care his mind was filled with one person eleanor she was really gone she really
22:17didn't want him anymore in the days that followed leo was a different person he used to be loud and
22:22cheerful now he was quiet and withdrawn he'd stare into space during class and sit alone at lunch
22:28he barely spoke to anyone his friends said he was losing it dude it's just eleanor she transferred so
22:35what why are you acting like this didn't you used to complain about how annoying she was
22:41she's gone now you should be happy he couldn't feel happy every day after school he would automatically
22:50start walking in the direction of eleanor's house hoping she was just visiting her aunt for a few days
22:56hoping she'd be back soon but a day turned into two and then a week passed she didn't come back
23:03mrs vance said she was doing well in her new school in california leo what happened between you
23:09two ellie left in such a hurry she didn't even tell you he didn't know how to answer what could
23:18he say
23:18that he used her as a prop to impress another girl that he trampled on her dignity and broke her
23:25heart
23:26he could only send her endless texts and leave voicemails but they all went unanswered he had to
23:32know why he had to bring her back he started obsessively searching for everything he could
23:38find online about pala alta high school on the school's website under the student spotlight section
23:43he found her picture she was wearing her new school's uniform standing with a group of girls
23:48laughing the smile on her face was one he hadn't seen in a long time it was relaxed natural and
23:55genuinely happy not like when she was with him always so careful always watching his mood it
24:01turned out that without him she could be this happy leo wanted to book a flight and go to her
24:06right then
24:06but his feet felt like they were made of lead suddenly he wasn't so sure she looked like she
24:11was doing great much better than when she was with him would his showing up just ruin everything for her
24:16as he hesitated he noticed a tall boy in the background of the photo the way the boy looked at
24:21her was familiar it was a look of pure adoration his heart clenched again the pain was so sharp he
24:28had to bend over so he had really lost her completely and forever my life at palo alto high
24:35was falling into a comfortable rhythm my new classmates were all friendly no one knew about
24:40my past to them i was just a normal transfer student good grades quiet personality that's all
24:48chloe became my best friend she was loud and fiercely protective of me ellie let's play tennis
24:54after school ellie can you help me with this problem ellie how is your skin so perfect she was a
25:00constant happy buzz in my life she introduced me to new friends and helped me fit in slowly i started
25:08to let my guard down i started to believe that not everyone was out to hurt me i started to
25:14believe
25:14that i deserved to be treated well the atmosphere at my new school was amazing everyone was focused
25:21on their studies there were no toxic clunts no cruel jokes the teachers were dedicated and the students
25:29were kind my grades were better than ever i won the state championship in the national debate tournament
25:36our academic declam team made it to the national finals miss bennett often praised me eleanor is
25:44truly a pride of our school my classmates were genuinely happy for me there was no jealousy
25:50no exclusion only sincere congratulations life could be this simple and beautiful not every place
25:58was filled with malice one day during a bring of brain to begin classes chloe leaned in conspirately
26:04ellie caleb reed from the class next door has been asking about you caleb reed um the name didn't ring
26:12a bell
26:13you know the guy who's amazing at basketball the six foot one hottie so many girls have a crush on
26:21him
26:22i don't know him i don't know him i really didn't since coming here all i'd focused on was studying
26:32i hadn't paid any attention to the basketball captain yes you do he's the one who helped you pick up
26:39your books last week when you dropped them all over the hallway
26:45now i remembered last week when i was getting books from my locker a tall boy from the next class
26:54had helped me he had a sunning tam you reveled he had a sunny smile thank you no problem
27:04he'd replied scratching the back of his neck his ears turning a little red
27:11that was it what was he asking about me what do you think he's totally into you our ellie
27:20is so pretty of course she's attracting all the hot guys i froze
27:27someone liked me a real genuine crush not like leo who treated me like a possession
27:35he could summon or dismiss at will not someone who just assumed i would always be there for him
27:44but someone who was shyly asking about me who helped me just to be kind
27:49don't be silly i said but deep down something was quietly shifting inside me
28:01i could be liked
28:05i deserve to be cherished
28:08a month later i was in the library after school for a meeting
28:12with the academic de kenela team when someone knocked on the door excuse me is eleanor vancer here
28:20i looked up and saw the last person on earth i ever wanted to see again
28:25leo he was thinner and his eyes were bloodshot the moment he saw me his eyes lit up ellie his
28:33voice was
28:34a mixture of relief and nervousness everyone on the team turned to look at us chloe tugged on my sleeve
28:40worried i stood up and walked out of the library i didn't want to air my dirty laundry in front
28:45of
28:45my new friends what are you doing here my voice was so cold it surprised even me i could face
28:51him
28:51with this much calm my tone stung him i came to find you why did you leave without saying anything
29:00i've been looking for you for a month your mom finally told me you were here a month i was
29:07surprised
29:09i never thought he would actually look for me let alone for that long in my memory he always had
29:15the attention span of a goldfish why were you looking for me to get you to come back of course
29:20he said
29:21as if it were the most obvious thing in the world it's not good for you to be all alone
29:26out here
29:26come back ellie i forgive you you forgive me i almost laughed even now he was still so arrogant
29:37still thought i was the one in the wrong that i was the one who needed to be forgiven
29:42leo carter you need to get it straight you're the one who needs to apologize i did apologize i bought
29:50you
29:50tickets to the amusement park i even had your favorite gift ready what else do you want i looked
29:58at him the boy i had adored for over a decade he was a complete stranger to me now
30:06he would never understand i didn't want amusement park tickets or gifts i wanted respect i wanted to
30:14be treated like a person not a play thing i don't want anything i just want you to leave and
30:22don't
30:22ever come looking for me again he grabbed my arm eleanor don't take this too far it was just a
30:31prank
30:32why are you being like this a prank always a prank
30:38in his mind tying me to a goal post and humiliating me in public was just a prank
30:47yeah it was just a prank so me leaving that's just a prank too you don't have to take it
30:56seriously
30:57i left him standing there frozen in shock i walked back into the library without a second glance
31:04are you okay who was that
31:09i'm fine just someone who doesn't matter anymore and it was true he didn't matter what once felt like
31:19the end of the world now seemed so small the person i once thought i couldn't live without
31:26i could now face with perfect calm leo's appearance was just a small hiccup my life moved on
31:33after midterms my gpa was in the top two percent of my class miss bennett gave me a special mention
31:38at the academic awards ceremony eleanor is a transfer student but she has adapted wonderfully
31:44she is an example for all of us no one made snide remarks no one called me a nerd just
31:53genuine
31:53recognition kalem finally worked up the courage to ask me out eleanor are you free this weekend i was
32:01wondering if you'd like to see a movie with me he was so nervous his ears turned bright red i
32:08was
32:08sure his palms were sweating chloe was making frantic gestures behind him say yes say yes i thought for
32:15a moment okay and why not i deserved to be treated with respect i deserved to be liked for who
32:22i am i
32:23deserve to have a normal high school experience caleb looked like he was about to jump for joy really
32:30that's great i mean thank you for giving me a chance he scratched the back of his neck grinning like
32:38a kid
32:39that weekend we went to see a pixar movie caleb was so thoughtful he bought popcorn and soda
32:47he even brought a pack of tissues i heard this movie is kind of sad just in case you cry
32:55i smiled he was
32:57so nervous he didn't know where to put his hands the movie was great it was about growing up and
33:02finding
33:03courage i didn't cry but my heart felt warm after the movie he walked me home i had a really
33:12good time
33:12today he said me too so can i ask you out again sometime he asked his eyes full of hope
33:21he looked
33:21like a big golden retriever i nodded he beamed so this is what it felt like to be cherished careful
33:29yet confident no need to walk on eggshells no need to worry about being abandoned just two people who
33:37simply liked each other when my aunt found out she teased me is our ellie going on dates now i
33:43blushed
33:44not yet we were just friends but maybe we could become something more are you two going to the
33:52homecoming dance together this year she winked i know that caleb boy he's a good kid basketball
33:57captain good grades he's a good one yeah he was a good one
34:05i wasn't going to be like before humbly waiting by someone's side waiting for the occasional scrap
34:11of attention waiting for a smile when he was in a good mood i deserved better meanwhile leo's world
34:17was falling apart he thought eleanor was just throwing a tantrum he thought he could win her
34:21back after a few days but she really was done with him after he came back from california he locked
34:25himself in his room he replayed years of memories over and over in his head eleanor was always there
34:30right behind him wherever he went she followed whatever he said she listened when he was angry
34:33she would careful try to cheer him up when he was happy she was happier than he was he had
34:37gotten
34:37used to her presence like he was used to breathing and now that she was gone he felt like he
34:41was
34:41suffocating no one saved him a seat at school anymore no one brought him breakfast no one walked
34:45home with him no one sat with him in silence when he was in a bad mood no one remembered
34:49all the
34:49little things he liked and most importantly no one looked at him with those gentle eyes anymore
34:54as if he was her entire world as if he was the sun and the moon savannah still tried to
34:59hang out
34:59with him but he suddenly found her completely uninteresting her fake poverty act her damsel
35:03in distress routine it all just irritated him how could she even compare to eleanor eleanor
35:07wasn't as conventionally beautiful but her smile was warm eleanor was a bit of a nerd but she was
35:11kind-hearted eleanor cried easily but she was never unreasonable she remembered everything he liked she
35:15knew he had a sweet tooth and always had candy for him she knew he hated rainy days and would
35:19bring
35:19an extra umbrella for him she knew he was bad at math and would patiently explain the problems to him
35:23and savannah all she did was ask for things all she did was make everyone cater to her he started
35:27to
35:27regret it why did he treat elowen like that just to make sarana laugh was savannah's laugh worth
35:32eleanor's tears was it worth losing the one person who genuinely cared about him he remembered that
35:36day the look in eleanor's eyes when they cut her down despair anger and deep deep disappointment
35:41she must have been in so much pain tied up for two hours by so many people having a milkshake
35:45thrown at her and he had just stood there smiling saying it was all a joke he was a
35:48monster he started to pathologically stalk eleanor on social media he saw pictures of her at the
35:53movies with caleb he saw them dancing together at the homecoming dance he saw caleb kiss her on
35:58the cheek after a game every photo was a knife in his heart he wanted to explain to apologize but
36:04he
36:04didn't even have the right to show his face to her anymore one time he finally got through to her
36:08on the phone ellie i'm sorry i really know i was wrong can you please forgive me she listened
36:15her voice calm on the other end you know what leo some things can't be fixed with a sorry
36:21it's like a shattered mirror you can glue it back together but the cracks will always be there
36:27we can't go back then she hung up leaving him alone with the dial tone she was right
36:36they couldn't go back and he was the one who had shattered everything
36:41senior year i received my early acceptance letter from mit
36:44i checked the box for my intended major physics the competition for my graduating class was insane
36:49getting an offer from mit was almost unheard of i was one of the few it was the ultimate validation
36:55for all my hard work caleb was even more excited than i was that's amazing i guess i have to
37:01work
37:01harder now try to get into a school in boston we had been together for six months he was so
37:06good to me
37:06he respected me protected me he would never do anything to embarrass me he'd bring me bubble tea when i
37:13was
37:13tired from studying he'd go for long walks with me when i was stressed he even remembered my cycle
37:19and would secretly put a bottle of midmich a heating pad and my favorite ben and jerry's flavor in my
37:25locker all the things leo had never done caleb did them all chloe said we were a perfect match i
37:31thought
37:31so too love could be this wonderful no groveling no pleading no constant fear of being abandoned
37:37just two people walking side by side moving forward together respecting and cherishing each other the
37:43news of my mit acceptance made its way back to ohio and leo completely snapped the night of the big
37:48football game paulo shot a high versus our biggest rival he flew to california caleb as the team's
37:54quarterback threw a game-winning touchdown in the final minute the entire stadium erupted the crowd
37:59stormed the field to celebrate caleb pushed through the sea of people found me and pulled me into a
38:04tight hug amid the roaring cheers and that's when leo appeared he was holding a huge bouquet of roses
38:11wearing an out-of-place suit looking both pathetic and obsessed he shoved his way through the crowd and
38:17stood in front of us ellie i was wrong i was so wrong please forgive me let's start over he
38:27was
38:27trying to stage some grand romantic gesture right there in front of everyone caleb immediately stepped
38:33in front of me who the hell are you his tall frame blocked leo from my view leo finally seemed
38:38to notice
38:38him and his eyes turned dangerous we grew up together i've known her for 16 years who are you his
38:44voice
38:45was laced with hostility and bitterness i'm her boyfriend caleb said not backing down an inch
38:50he took my hand a clear declaration that's impossible ellie tell him leo froze then lost
38:56it we're the ones who are supposed to be together you've loved me since we were kids you said you'd
39:01be
39:01with me forever i looked at him calmly and stepped out from behind caleb all eyes were on us now
39:07camera
39:07flashes going off just like that day i was tied to the goalpost only this time i wasn't the helpless
39:13victim leo in ohio you made me the butt of the entire school's joke i said my voice clear and
39:19cold
39:20loud enough for everyone around us to hear now here in california you've made a joke of yourself
39:26we're over we were over the second you tied me to that goalpost i watched his face drain of all
39:32color as i continued you're the one who destroyed everything you stomped on my dignity and treated my
39:38heart like a game and now you're sorry it's too late with that i took caleb's hand and turned to
39:44leave caleb's teammates closed in around forming a wall stealing leo out of our world behind me i could
39:50hear his broken pleas swallowed by the sound of the victory celebration i didn't look back some things
39:57once you miss them are gone forever some people once you hurt them can never be won back he closed
40:03savannah he chose to turn me into a joke now he had to live with the consequences this time it
40:10was really
40:10over
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