Hadley's Fall (Based on 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher)

7|Eleanor

10 Days Before the Fall

"Who do we have next, George?" Professor Eleanor Candon asked her co-worker, Professor George Collins.

"Miss Hadley Adams, from Toronto, Ontario," George replied, his voice rising slightly in surprise as he read the location the applicant was from.

"Canada, very interesting," Eleanor remarked. As a Boston university, not to mention an Ivy League university, it was not uncommon for Canadian residents to apply to Harvard. However, Harvard was a difficult school to get into under normal circumstances. For someone from outside the country, the odds were even more heavily against them.

Harvard tended to show a bit of favoritism towards students from their own country, but hey, so did every school. That's why Eleanor and George were always surprised when someone decided to test their luck and apply from out of the country.

Eleanor shuffled through Hadley's application. "Adams, that last name sounds familiar," she remarked.

George snorted, and pushed his glasses up higher on his nose. "Well of course, it's such a common last name."

Eleanor shook her head as if she wasn't convinced that was the reason the name rang a bell. As she skimmed through the application essay, she found her answer. "Aha! Right here it says that her brother, Denver Adams, attends Harvard. We accepted him a couple years ago. That's why the name sounds familiar." She pointed to a block of text on the page triumphantly.

Of course, it wasn't impossible for out of country applicants to get accepted. Denver had had impressive marks and a long list of references and school activities, along with a kick-ass essay. He had met all the requirements and more, and so he was mailed his acceptance letter immediately. As far as Eleanor knew, he was now flourishing at Harvard and was one of the better applicants they had accepted that year.

"What else does she have to say for herself?" George leaned over in order to get a better view of the essay paper. Clearly, he was interested now that he had learned about Hadley's brother.

Eleanor cleared her throat. "I'm applying to Harvard because it has been my dream school ever since I was young. For as long as I can remember, I pictured myself walking around on campus, joining the debate team, and excelling in all my classes. Now, I apply not only because it is my dream, but also because it is all I have left. My parents have lied to me one too many times for me to trust them anymore, and my brother doesn't believe a single word I say. My best friend ditched me to join the popular crowd, and then my long-time crush and the girl who's always had it out for me joined forces to humiliate me in the worst way possible. My pen pal hasn't written back to me in months, and the only person who I have to put my hopes in is you, the random admissions people at Harvard. So please, help me out." Eleanor looked up when she finished reciting the letter.

"Another sob story," George groaned and threw the paper in the trash.

Eleanor hesitated. Something about the words Hadley had written resonated with her. It stood out from the hundreds of fake sob stories George and her had read and simultaneously thrown into the trash. Hadley's words seemed raw and true, as if she had written them from her heart.

With a second glance toward the trash bin, Eleanor contemplated lifting the paper out and stamping 'Accepted' across the front. But at the same time, she was aware of her and George's rule: no sob stories. It was easy to get sidetracked into the emotional part of their job, but she needed to remember: if the applicant had nothing to say about themselves besides the struggles they had been through in their life, they weren't good enough for Harvard.

It was difficult, though. With every yes, Eleanor knew she was changing someone's life. With every no, she was also changing someone's life, but in a much different way. If Hadley was really struggling as much as she said she was, an acceptance letter from Harvard in her mailbox could change her entire perspective.

"Stop it, Eleanor," she scolded herself under her breath. She was thinking of Hadley as a person, not a number, which was strictly off limits. Harvard was an Ivy League university, not a Feel Better centre. If she believed every story she heard, the dorms would be flooded.

So with a heavy heart she folded one of the pre-made reject letters into an envelope marked with Hadley's address. Maybe it was for the better, she tried to reason with herself. Maybe Hadley wouldn't have done well at Harvard anyway, and she was destined for something else. If she kept looking, maybe she would find somewhere she truly belonged. After all, just because Harvard was right for her brother didn't mean it was right for her.

Feeling much better, Eleanor dumped the envelope into the pile of letters her and George would be sending off into the mail later today. And with that simple gesture, Hadley was erased from her mind, reduced to a fragment of a memory like all the other applicants she had rejected.

That was the final straw for Hadley, not that Eleanor would ever realize it. When Hadley's picture appeared on the front page of the Toronto Star, Eleanor would never see it. Miles away in Boston, she had moved on to bigger and better things.

Xxxxxxx

I can't believe this is the last part! Epilogue & Author's Note next week :)