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