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The Prank That Broke Us - Hd ✅ FULL [Eng Sub]
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00:05when i woke up i was a prop in their prank zip tied to the goal post on the school's
00:09football
00:10field 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
00:46the 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
01:25of 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
01:36the features were so familiar but right now he was a complete stranger the eyes i once thought
01:41would protect me forever now only held mockery so how's the view from up there ellie he was still
01:46joking as if i wasn't a person but a toy all right all right joke's over let's get her down
01:51he said it so casually like he was commenting on the weather a couple of his teammates clumsily untied
01:55the ropes no one cared if i would get hurt i crashed hard onto the grass the impact knocked
02:00the wind out of me and i felt like my lungs had collapsed every bone in my body ached i
02:04curled into
02:04a blob like a dying insect leo crouched down and ripped the bandage off my face the pain of the
02:09tape
02:09tearing at my skin made me gasp when he saw my red swollen eyes he paused for a second for
02:14a moment i thought
02:15i saw a flicker of regret i thought he would apologize what are you crying for it was just
02:18a prank we used to prank each other all the time he said it so lightly as if this was
02:22just like any
02:23other joke but he forgot our old pranks never involved destroying someone's dignity they never
02:27involved humiliating someone in front of hundreds of people they were never this cruel i stared at
02:31him saying nothing my throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton i couldn't get a single word out
02:35it wasn't that i didn't want to speak i just didn't know what to say how do you question 16
02:40years
02:40of friendship how do you put this betrayal into words my stare made him uncomfortable don't look
02:45at me like that it's creepy his darting eyes gave away his guilt savannah said yesterday she wanted
02:49to film a cool halloween prank video so we thought it's not a big deal you're fine right but i
02:54didn'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
03:12right in front of him and if that happened i would have truly lost lost everything when i got home
03:17i
03:17went straight to the bathroom as i took off my clothes i saw the bruises and wentz covering my body
03:24they were horrifying i stood under the scalding water scrubbing my skin over and over trying to wash off
03:30the milkshake 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
04:06was
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
04:19school's goal post 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 eyes
04:50out on the first day and i was the one who gave him a piece of chocolate after that he
04:55followed
04:56me around like a little shadow ellie wait for me ellie you can have this ellie we're gonna be together
05:03forever back then leo's eyes were so bright his smile so pure he was the troublemaker and i was the
05:08good 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 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
05:57of
05:57the 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 too 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 tears
07:50finally 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
08:24then
08:25i couldn't bear to leave home to leave leo looking back now it was pathetic the person i couldn't bear
08:33to 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
08:48stop 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
09:07he 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
09:21eleanor 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
09:48he'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 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 a kind-looking
10:14middle-aged woman with glasses eleanor transferring in the middle of your junior year can be tricky
10:17with credit transfers are you sure you want to do this now i i'm being bullied at this school the
10:21words were barely audible it took all my courage to say them out loud do you have any proof if
10:26this
10:26is true we will take it very seriously i opened my phone the videos were still there each one was
10:31a
10:32fresh nightmare watching them again was like stabbing myself in the heart but now they were my
10:36evidence the counselor's face grew darker and darker as she watched have you called the police i shook
10:40my head the police that meant tearing open my wounds for them to see list that suffocating shame
10:44over and over during an escape this is again the thought made me sick to my stomach i just want
10:48to transfer deep exhausting seeped into my bones as fast as possible i don't want to spend another
10:52second in this place leaving was enough it wasn't running away it was that they didn't deserve
10:56another second of my time or energy all right where do you want to transfer to palo alta high
11:01school in california it was one of the best high schools on the west coast it was also in the
11:05same school district as my aunt if i moved in with her i'd meet the residency requirements it had a
11:09great academic reputation free of all the bullshit drama palo alto high the academic pressure there
11:14is intense yes i've already confirmed with my aunt her address is within the school district as long
11:18as i provide proof of residency and the necessary documents they have to accept me just last month
11:22my aunt had asked if i wanted to move in with her and transfer she looked into it and with
11:26my grades
11:26getting into palo alto high was a sure thing i turned her down then i couldn't bear to leave home
11:31to leave leo how pathetic i saw myself as his whole world he saw me as a prop to entertain
11:39someone else
11:40the counselor was very sympathetic okay i'll get your official transcripts and vaccination records
11:44ready for you she contacted the new school that same day and helped expedite my paperwork the process
11:48will take a few business days you could be starting at your new school as early as next monday
11:52thank you my gratitude was genuine eleanor she called out as i was leaving when you get to your
11:58new school it's a fresh start forget about what happened here you deserve better my eyes welled up
12:04again the kindness of a stranger was more moving than the cruelty of someone i knew stepping out of the
12:10administration building the sunlight felt a little too bright i took a deep breath a new beginning
12:16was coming you can do this eleanor be careful and come home early after school mrs carter said
12:23we're having a barbecue in the backyard tonight okay i hadn't told my parents about the transfer
12:27i didn't want them to worry and i didn't want them to stop me i'd tell them once everything was
12:32settled school was the same as always except in ap calculus my classmates looked at me with a little
12:37more amusement in their eyes hey the mummy's here the whispers no toilet paper today i heard leo went
12:43to see her yesterday and she gave him the cold shoulder she doesn't know what's good for her i
12:46walked to my seat with a blank expression let them say whatever they wanted this was my last day
12:51still mad he was trying to be charming but his eyes still held that same sense of entitlement as
12:56if my anger was just a childish tantrum i bought tickets to six plagues for us want to go after
13:00school and i got your favorite red velvet cupcakes i promise you'll feel better after you have one
13:04i ignored him and took out my books i started to organize my things i cleared out everything that was
13:09mine from my locker not a single pen or eraser was left behind eleanor that's enough
13:12his voice was edged with impatience now i already said i was sorry what more do you want everyone
13:16was just having fun the other day look justin got his eyebrows shaved off yesterday and he wasn't mad
13:20i still didn't say a word i just kept packing just then savannah walked in she paused when she saw
13:25us
13:25morning then she smiled and walked over her voice was sickly sweet ellie are you okay i'm so sorry
13:30about the other day i was just talking that far it's fine i cut her off i didn't want to
13:35hear her
13:35fake apology and i didn't want to waste my last few hours here on her leo immediately jumped to her
13:40defense like a mother hen protecting her chick savannah already apologized just drop it she didn't mean
13:46any 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
14:09i was afraid i'd rip off savannah's fake mask in front of everyone in the restroom i looked at my
14:15reflection in the mirror my face was pale with dark circles under my eyes i hadn't slept well plagued by
14:21nightmares in my dream i was still tied to the goal poem everyone was laughing leo was laughing the
14:27hardest i woke up to a tear-soaked pillow i woke up to a tear-soaked pillow i splashed cold
14:33water on
14:34my face eleanor just one more day tomorrow you'll be free when i got back to the classroom leo and
14:41sarana were chatting happily she was sitting in my seat and they were leaning in close to each other
14:46leo was helping her with a math problem hand over hand kind of helping i stood at the doorway
14:52watching them quietly once he used to teach me like that the only difference was with me he was
14:58always impatient eleanor why are you so stupid you 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
15:15bought a ton of snacks the kind i usually never let myself buy buying so much today what's the occasion
15:20i'm in a good mood because i was about to be free i was about to leave this suffocating place
15:25during
15:25the last 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
15:37didn't say anything there were so many things i wanted to say i want to ask why did you do
15:40that
15:40but in the end i asked nothing what was the point i already knew the answer the final bell rang
15:44i
15:45slung my backpack over my shoulder and took one last look at the classroom three years of my
15:49memories were in this room there was laughter there were tears but from today on none of it had
15:52anything to do with me anymore wait for me weren't we supposed to go to six flags i walked out
15:56without
15:56looking back eleanor what's with the attitude now i walked faster as soon as i was out of the school
16:00gates i got into my aunt's car she had flown all the way from california just to pick me up
16:04ready to
16:04go yeah then let's go the car pulled away from the curb in the rear view mirror i saw leo
16:08running out
16:09of the school he stood at the gate looking completely lonely lost he was still holding two tickets to the
16:12amusement park the wind blew through his hair and for a fraction of the pain i had felt
16:15goodbye leo and good riddis it was dark by the time we landed in california the five-hour flight
16:21was 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 with me for now once you get settled you can decide if you want to stay in the dorms
16:34thanks
16:35auntie don't be silly we're family she said gently stroking my hair her touch was so light as if she
16:41was afraid of hurting me my aunt's eyes blazed with anger when she mentioned leo she had seen
16:45the videos that little bastard is an absolute monster if you hadn't stopped me i would have
16:49called the carters and given them a piece of my mind she was so furious she almost called his
16:53parents right then and there i was the one who stopped her i didn't want a huge scene i just
16:56wanted to leave quietly it's all in the past now i forced a smile what do you mean in the
17:00past she
17:01said getting worked up do you have any idea how my heart broke when i saw those videos
17:05you're such a good kid eleanor you don't deserve to be treated like that auntie i'm okay things will be
17:10better now that night i turned off my phone i didn't want to see any messages i didn't want to
17:15know if leo was looking for me i didn't want to know if anyone at school had noticed i was
17:18gone
17:18i didn't want to know anything i just wanted a good night's sleep and for the first time in a
17:23long time i slept soundly no nightmares no waking up in a cold sweat no voices laughing at me no
17:28malicious stares just the faint sound of my aunt snoring softly from the next room it was comforting
17:32the next morning my aunt took me to the school to register palo alta high was much bigger than my
17:37old
17:37school the lawns were green and manicured and the hallways were filled with the quiet hum of learning
17:41there were no clucks no nasty pranks this is your new counselor miss bennett miss bennett was in her
17:4530s with glasses and a warm smile eleanor vance is that right welcome to pal her smile was genuine
17:50not like the forced politeness of the teachers at my old school our academic de kibla team is looking
17:53for new 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 to
18:23meet you all my voice was a little shaky but i tried to stay calm the class broke into applause
18:27it was
18:27warm and sincere the new girl is really pretty someone whispered pretty me and she's super smart
18:34too she seems really quiet no one called me a nerd no one called me a hanging on no one
18:40looked at 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 wow
18:51what a
18:51beautiful name eleanor like eleanor roosevelt strong and smart your parents must be really cool
18:56she was a talker as soon as the bell rang she was pulling me aside to give me the rundown
18:59of the
19:00class 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 i
19:21listened to her a warm feeling spreading through my chest so this is what it felt like to be
19:26treated with kindness no need to be careful no need to walk on eggshells no need to worry about
19:31being disliked just simple genuine friendship meanwhile back in ohio leo was losing his mind
19:36eleanor had been missing since school let out yesterday her phone went straight to voicemail
19:40her texts weren't delivering he waited at the school gate until it got dark but she never came out
19:44she ran to the vance's house and mrs vance told him she'd gone to visit her aunt which aunt
19:49the one in california leo did you and ellie have a fight california that was so far away and wasn't
19:57today a school day a terrible feeling started to grow in the pit of leo's stomach no way eleanor
20:01wouldn't actually leave she was just mad at me she'd be back in a few days just like every other
20:05time
20:05they fought he tried to reassure himself the next day at school eleanor's seat was empty her locker
20:10was empty too nothing inside even the novels she always kept with her were gone excuse me do you
20:16know why eleanor vance isn't here today his voice was laced with panic the counselor gave him an odd
20:20look you don't know she transferred her tone was flat as if she were commenting about the weather
20:24boom leo's mind went completely blank transferred when did this happen why didn't she tell him why
20:31transferred where his voice was shaking palo alta high school in california
20:36so far away she was really gone because of that stupid prank impossible eleanor had been following
20:44him around since they were kids he could be a jerk to her and she would never get really mad
20:49she'd pout a little and he'd say a few nice things and everything would be fine how could she transfer
20:55over something so small how could she leave without saying a word to him how could she actually be done
21:02with him it had to be a lie leo pulled out his phone and dialed her familiar number again straight
21:07to voicemail he didn't give up he called again and again and again until the school bell rang still
21:12voicemail leo what's wrong eleanor transferred he looked like he'd seen a ghost what why but a flicker
21:18of triumph flashed in her eye why he wanted to know why too it was just a joke he'd pulled
21:23worse
21:23pranks on her before she never got this angry why this time leo thought back to yesterday after school
21:29the way eleanor had looked at him for the last time her eyes were calm cold like she was looking
21:33at a stranger there was no love in that look no hate nothing just a dead empty calm his heart
21:41suddenly clenched in his chest the pain was so sharp he had to bend over so this is what a
21:46broken
21:46heart felt like it was excruciating leo are you okay savannah asked trying to help him up her soft
21:52hand rested on his arm before that touch would have made his heart race now it just annoyed him don't
21:57fucking touch me he snarled shrugging her hand off savannah froze leo had never spoken to her like
22:03that before leo i said don't touch me he roared his eyes were bloodshot like a wounded animals the
22:08entire class turned to stare savannah's eyes welled up with tears but leo didn't care his mind was
22:13filled with one person eleanor she was really gone she really didn't want him anymore in the days that
22:19followed leo was a different person he used to be loud and cheerful now he was quiet and withdrawn
22:25he'd stare into space during class and sit alone at lunch he barely spoke to anyone his friends said
22:32he was losing it dude it's just eleanor she transferred so what why are you acting like this
22:38didn't you used to complain about how annoying she was she's gone now you should be happy
22:46he couldn't feel happy every day after school he would automatically start walking in the direction
22:52of eleanor's house hoping she was just visiting her aunt for a few days hoping she'd be back soon
22:58but a day turned into two and then a week passed she didn't come back mrs vance said she was
23:05doing well
23:05in her new school in california leo what happened between you two ellie left in such a hurry she
23:13didn't even tell you he didn't know how to answer what could he say that he used her as a
23:20prop to
23:21impress another girl that he trampled on her dignity and broke her heart he could only send her endless
23:28texts and leave voicemails but they all went unanswered he had to know why he had to bring her
23:35back he started obsessively searching for everything he could find online about pala alta high school
23:40on the school's website under the student spotlight section he found her picture she was wearing her
23:46new school's uniform standing with a group of girls laughing the smile on her face was one he hadn't seen
23:51in a long time it was relaxed natural and genuinely happy not like when she was with him always so
23:58careful always watching his mood it turned out that without him she could be this happy leo wanted to
24:04book a flight and go to her right then but his feet felt like they were made of lead suddenly
24:09he wasn't
24:10so sure she looked like she was doing great much better than when she was with him would his showing
24:15up just ruin everything for her as he hesitated he noticed a tall boy in the background of the photo
24:20the way the boy looked at her was familiar it was a look of pure adoration his heart clenched again
24:26the pain was so sharp he had to bend over so he had really lost her completely and forever my
24:34life
24:34at palo alto high was falling into a comfortable rhythm my new classmates were all friendly no one
24:40knew about my 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 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 truly
25:44a pride of our school my classmates were genuinely happy for me there was no jealousy no exclusion
25:52only sincere congratulations life could be this simple and beautiful not every place was filled with
25:59malice one day during a brain of brain to begin classes chloe leaned in conspiratorially ellie
26:05caleb reed from the class next door has been asking about you caleb reed um the name didn't ring a
26:13bell
26:13you know the guy who's amazing at basketball the six foot one hottie so many girls have a crush on
26:22him
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
26:33i hadn't paid any attention to the basketball captain yes you do he's the one who helped you pick up
26:39your
26:39books 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
27:05he'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
27:21pretty of course she's attracting all the hot guys i froze someone liked me a real genuine crush
27:32not 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
27:46about 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 with the academic de kenela team when
28:14someone 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 leo he was thinner
28:27and his eyes were bloodshot the moment he saw me his eyes lit up ellie his voice was a mixture
28:35of
28:35relief and nervousness everyone on the team turned to look at us chloe tugged on my sleeve worried
28:41i stood up and walked out of the library i didn't want to air my dirty laundry in front of
28:45my new
28:46friends what are you doing here my voice was so cold it surprised even me i could face him with
28:52this
28:52much 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
29:05a month i was surprised i never thought he would actually look for me let alone for that long
29:13in my memory he always had the attention span of a goldfish why were you looking for me to get
29:19you
29:19to come back of course he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world it's not
29:25good for
29:25you to be all alone out here come back ellie i forgive you you forgive me i almost laughed
29:33even now he was still so arrogant still thought i was the one in the wrong that i was the
29:40one who
29:40needed to be forgiven leo carter you need to get it straight you're the one who needs to apologize
29:48i did apologize i bought you tickets to the amusement park i even had your favorite gift ready
29:55what else do you want i looked at him the boy i had adored for over a decade
30:02he was a complete stranger to me now he would never understand i didn't want amusement park
30:11tickets or gifts i wanted respect i wanted to be treated like a person not a play thing
30:18i don't want anything i just want you to leave and don't ever come looking for me again
30:24he grabbed my arm eleanor don't take this too far it was just a prank why are you being like
30:34this
30:34a prank always a prank in his mind tying me to a goal post and humiliating me in public was
30:44just a prank
30:48yeah it was just a prank so me leaving that's just a prank too
30:55you don't have to take it seriously
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
31:18what once felt like the end of the world now seemed so small
31:22the person i once thought i couldn't live without i could now face with perfect calm
31:28leo's appearance was just a small hiccup my life moved on after midterms my gpa was in the top two
31:36percent of my class ms bennett gave me a special mention at the academic awards ceremony eleanor is
31:41a transfer student but she has adapted wonderfully she is an example for all of us
31:49no one made snide remarks no one called me a nerd just genuine recognition
31:54caleb finally worked up the courage to ask me out
31:58eleanor are you free this weekend i was wondering if you'd like to see a
32:03a movie with me he was so nervous his ears turned bright red
32:07i was sure his palms were sweating chloe was making frantic gestures behind him
32:12say yes say yes i thought for a moment okay and why not i deserved to be treated with respect
32:21i deserve to be liked for who i am i deserve to have a normal high school experience
32:27caleb looked like he was about to jump for joy
32:30really that's great i mean thank you for giving me a chance
32:35he scratched the back of his neck grinning like a kid that weekend we went to see a pixar movie
32:43caleb was so thoughtful he bought popcorn and soda he even brought a pack of tissues
32:50i heard this movie is kind of sad just in case you cry
32:55i smiled he was so nervous he didn't know where to put his hands
33:00the movie was great it was about growing up and finding courage
33:04i didn't cry but my heart felt warm
33:08after the movie he walked me home
33:11i had a really good time today he said
33:14me too
33:16so can i ask you out again sometime
33:18he asked his eyes full of hope he looked like a big golden retriever
33:23i nodded he beamed so this is what it felt like to be cherished careful yet confident
33:30no need to walk on eggshells no need to worry about being abandoned
33:36just two people who simply liked each other
33:39when my aunt found out she teased me is our ellie going on dates now i blushed
33:44not yet we were just friends but maybe we could become something more
33:50are you two going to the homecoming dance together this year she winked
33:54i know that caleb boy he's a good kid basketball captain good grades he's a good one
34:01yeah he was a good one
34:05i wasn't going to be like before humbly waiting by someone's side
34:09waiting for the occasional scrap of attention
34:12waiting for a smile when he was in a good mood i deserved better
34:16meanwhile leo's world was falling apart
34:18he thought eleanor was just throwing a tantrum he thought he could win her back after a few days
34:22but she really was done with him after he came back from california he locked himself in his room
34:26he replayed years of memories over and over in his head eleanor was always there right behind him
34:31wherever he went she followed whatever he said she listened when he was angry she would careful
34:34try to cheer him up when he was happy she was happier than he was he had gotten used to
34:37her
34:37presence like he was used to breathing and now that she was gone he felt like he was suffocating
34:41no one saved him a seat at school anymore no one brought him breakfast no one walked home with him
34:46no one sat with him in silence when he was in a bad mood no one remembered all the little
34:50things he
34:50liked and most importantly no one looked at him with those gentle eyes anymore as if he was her
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 it all
35:04just irritated him how could she even compare to eleanor eleanor wasn't as conventionally beautiful but
35:09her smile was warm eleanor was a bit of a nerd but she was kind-hearted eleanor cried easily but
35:13she
35:13was never unreasonable she remembered everything he liked she knew he had a sweet tooth and always
35:17had candy for him she knew he hated rainy days and would bring an extra umbrella for him she knew
35:20he
35:20was bad at math and would patiently explain the problems to him and savannah all she did was ask
35:24for things all she did was make everyone cater to her he started to regret it why did he treat
35:29elowen like that just to make sarana laugh was savannah's laugh worth eleanor's tears was it worth
35:33losing the one person who genuinely cared about him he remembered that day the look in eleanor's eyes when
35:38they cut her down despair anger and deep deep disappointment she must have been in so much pain
35:42tied up for two hours by so many people having a milkshake thrown at her and he had just stood
35:46there smiling saying it was all a joke he was a fucking monster he started to pathologically
35:51stalk eleanor on social media he saw pictures of her at the movies with caleb he saw them dancing
35:56together at the homecoming dance he saw caleb kiss her on the cheek after a game every photo was a
36:00knife in his heart he wanted to explain to apologize but he didn't even have the right to show his
36:05face
36:06to her anymore one time he finally got through to her on the phone ellie i'm sorry i really know
36:11i was
36:12wrong can you please forgive me she listened her voice calm on the other end you know what leo
36:19some things can't be fixed with a sorry it's like a shattered mirror you can glue it back together but
36:25the cracks will always be there we can't go back then she hung up leaving him alone with the dial
36:34tone
36:35she was right they couldn't go back and he was the one who had shattered everything
36:41senior year i received my early acceptance letter from mit i checked the box for my intended major
36:46physics the competition for my graduating class was insane getting an offer from mit was almost unheard
36:52of i was one of the few it was the ultimate validation for all my hard work caleb was even
36:57more excited than i was that's amazing i guess i have to work harder now try to get into a
37:02school
37:03in boston we had been together for six months he was so good to me he respected me protected me
37:09he
37:10would never do anything to embarrass me he'd bring me bubble tea when i was tired from studying he'd go
37:15for long walks with me when i was stressed he even remembered my cycle and would secretly put a bottle
37:21of midmix a heating pad and my favorite ben and jerry's flavor in my locker all the things leo had
37:27never done caleb did them all chloe said we were a perfect match i thought so too love could be
37:33this
37:33wonderful no groveling no pleading no constant fear of being abandoned just two people walking side by
37:39side moving forward together respecting and cherishing each other the news of my mit acceptance made its way
37:45back to ohio and leo completely snapped the night of the big football game paulo shot a high versus
37:50our biggest rival he flew to california caleb as the team's quarterback threw a game-winning touchdown
37:56in the final minute the entire stadium erupted the crowd stormed the field to celebrate caleb pushed
38:02through the sea of people found me and pulled me into a tight hug amid the roaring cheers
38:07and that's when leo appeared he was holding a huge bouquet of roses wearing an out-of-ply suit
38:13looking both pathetic and obsessed he shoved his way through the crowd and stood in front of us
38:19ellie i was wrong i was so wrong please forgive me let's start over
38:27he was trying to stage some grand romantic gesture right there in front of everyone
38:32caleb immediately stepped in front of me who the hell are you
38:35his tall frame blocked leo from my view leo finally seemed to notice him and his eyes turned
38:40dangerous we grew up together i've known her for 16 years who are you his voice was laced with
38:46hostility and bitterness i'm her boyfriend caleb said not backing down an inch he took my hand a
38:51clear declaration that's impossible ellie tell him leo froze then lost it we're the ones who are
38:58supposed to be together you've loved me since we were kids you said you'd be with me forever i looked
39:02at him calmly and stepped out from behind caleb all eyes were on us now camera flashes going off
39:08just like that day i was tied to the goal post only this time i wasn't the helpless victim leo
39:15in ohio
39:15you made me the butt of the entire school's joke i said my voice clear and cold loud enough for
39:21everyone around us to hear now here in california you've made a joke of yourself we're over we were
39:28over the second you tied me to that goal post i watched his face drain of all color as i
39:33continued
39:33you're the one who destroyed everything you stomped on my dignity and treated my heart like a game and
39:40now you're sorry it's too late with that i took caleb's hand and turned to leave caleb's teammates
39:46closed in around cornering a wall stealing leo out of our world behind him i could hear his broken
39:51please 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
40:11over
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