PURE HEROINE II 13 REASONS WHY

visiting Columbia

"Excuse me, could you tell us where we find the courseroom for management for associations?", I ask a short, brown-haired girl who looked like she studies here. It's not only big enough to avoid seeing Scott, but also big enough for us to get lost. "Yes sure", she smiles back at me, "You just follow this hallway, take the stairs until you're on level two and then it's the first door to your left." 

"Thank you", Jeff smiles at her charmingly. "You're welcome. Are you new here?" "Yeah, we're going to study here soon and we wanted to take a look at the university first." "That's great, you could-" "Sarah, why are you still here? You were supposed to save us seats", a boy seems to talk to her coming out of the courseroom next to us as she's turning to him. Instinctively, I turn my head as well, only to face the only face that I wanted to forget. 

"Ellie", Scott whispers when he raises his head looking to the ground and turns to me. He looks good, really good. He's still got the look on his face that would make my heart melt. But I'm still upset about his behavior and he made clear that he doesn't want to see me so I won't treat him any better. "Reed", I greet him distantly furling my eyebrows. 

"You know each other?", Sarah asks. "He's been my team mate and best friend back home", Jeff explains not knowing if calling Scott his best friend is still right. Scott gives Jeff a weird look and furls his eyebrows. Well, he doesn't seem to be happy about being a former best friend. "Yeah, and she's my girlfriend.. my ex-girlfriend", Scott adds weirdly. 

"Okay, weird", the other boy comments the situation, "Look, we have to get to another class quickly but why don't you guys meet this afternoon and someone shows you around." "Yeah, good idea", Jeff says before waiting for me to agree and I know what this is about, "If Scott's got enough time." "Yeah, fine. Six p.m. at the entrance."

"So this is the Alpha's place where all the cool parties happen", Sarah finally stops the tour when we arrive at the party. During the whole tour I had a feeling she only did that for Jeff or Scott. She didn't try to even talk to me. I promised myself to find some friends that are not Scott and I's common friends so we can solve some problems that we had in high school already but looks like I'm dependant on Jeff at the moment. Scott and I haven't even talked since we started this tour. 

"Els, come, we can play a round of beer pong", Jeff asks me but I shake my head already having another plan. I need to find my own friends and maybe I haven't been nice enough to Hannah so I'll be working harder on it. "Just a second", I tell him but Scott gives me a concerned look. "Ellie, come on. It's our first party here together", he suddenly says softly. Why would he talk to me now and why would he be so nice when he wanted me to forget about him? 

"I'll be right back", I reply still wondering why it would be so important to Scott to play the first game with me together but I shrug any worries off and follow Amber. "Hey, thanks for the tour. That was really nice of you", I thank her and try to begin this conversation, "Can I ask you one more thing?" "Sure", she suddenly even smiles at me. Maybe I really just had to do one more step, be open. 

"Did I do anything to you because you were so focused on Scott and Jeff. If you like Jeff, I could help you." "You're cute but no. Jeff's not my type. I.. you know Scott pretty well, right?" "Yeah, pretty well", I nod confused. "And your relationship is over?" "I mean, we broke up when he left to study here", I say concluding the whole story although we planned on being together here but I don't believe that details are important right now. 

"I'm so glad I know someone from his past now. He didn't tell me much about home and stuff although we've spent much time together and I began to like him but he's been ignoring me ever since we hooked up", she groans and I gasp not knowing what to say. Scott hooked up with her while I was waiting for him and I to be together? So he goes and hooks up with some random girl? At least I found out why he wanted me to forget about him. 

"I know right! How can he ignore me after that? I thought he was feeling the same. The way he looked at me and-" I still don't have any idea what to say to her but listening is too hard for me so I storm away to the living room where I find Scott taking one of the balls. I don't care if it's his turn or not. I step closer to him and slap him right across the face making the boys and girls react to this by either laughing or gasping.

"Ellie! What the hell?", Jeff snaps at me but I still look at Scott who knows what happened. "How could you. How could you do this to me after everything? How could you do this while I am back home grieving for Monty." "Els, I.. we weren't dating!" I can't even react as Jeff understood what happened and intervenes, "It's got nothing to do with Monty!" "Did you fucking cheat on her? Oh, it doesn't? We just lost one more friend and you live your life happily." 

"We weren't dating", Scott repeats mumbling as if this was an excuse, "It happened before the dance." "Before the dance?", I scoff, "So this is why you came back with another girl? You ditched me for your flings? You didn't even have the balls to tell me why I should forget about you." "I came because I wanted to see you and surprise you." "Yeah right", I scoff again and turn around, "I'm leaving." 

"I'm serious, Ellie. Please, just listen to me for once. I wanted to see you", Scott repeats himself but I don't even look at him anymore. I turn to Jeff instead who gives me an understanding look. "I'll take you back to the hotel." "You're definitely not going to take her to the hotel", Scott hisses getting closer to Jeff angrily, "I'm so done with you acting like you could have her as soon as I'm away." 

"Oh yeah? Do you see me with her, Scott? You were broken up and I didn't make a move on her. So when I say I take her back to the hotel, I will do so. One of us has to be the one to take care of her and you failed." "Yeah, right. Like when I took care of her for months when you were in hospital, right? If you're going to cross that line, do it right", Scott snaps back and then looks at me, "If you go with him, you'll just prove me that it was right to hook up with Amber." 

"I don't prove you anything, Scott. If it helps you then take Jeff as an excuse. Take even Monty as an excuse. I'm done with this", I reply sadly not understanding how Scott could have said that. I've been so excited to visit this college and I hoped I would see him and go to college with him. Now I just want to go back to where I feel home. We were supposed to be together.