Ecie & Esme III: Forever and a Day

Six

'Do you want to tell me anything?' Carole asked looking at Ecie. 'You've been a little quiet today?'

Ecie shook her head. 'I don't have anything to say.'

'Okay then,' Carole nodded. 'I'll just ask questions and you can choose whether or not you want to answer, okay?'

'Okay,' Ecie nodded. 'That sounds okay.'

'Okay then,' Carole said. 'How is college?'

'It's fine,' Ecie replied. 'I'm going to transfer to UCLA.'

'Why is that?'

Ecie didn't say anything.

'Are you not going to any of your classes?'

'I am,' Ecie replied. 'But I come right before it starts then I leave as soon as it's over.'

'What are things like with Landon?'

'I had to dump him,' Ecie started crying. 'I had to dump him.'

'Why?' Carole asked.

Ecie shook her head in tears.

Carole leant back and reached for her box of tissues then passed them forward to Ecie. 'That's okay, just take your time. It's okay. What happened?'

Ecie shook her head. 'I couldn't do anything else.'

'You didn't want to dump him?'

Ecie shook her head.

'So why did you?' Carole asked. 'I thought things were going really well for the both of you. Why did you dump him?'

Ecie kept shaking her head and crying.

Carole nodded. 'Okay Ecie,' she said passing her, her pad of paper and pen. 'I'm going to give you this, and I want you to write down why you had to dump Landon. Take your time, remember, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to.'

Ecie tried wiping her face, but fresh tears ran down her face.

Carole watched as Ecie held the pen in her hand and hesitated, before passing back the pad of paper and pen. Carole looked at Ecie.

'I'm sorry,' Ecie said sniffing hard. 'I really am.'

'Sorry for what?' Carole asked.

Ecie wiped her face.

'Listen to me Ecie,' Carole said. 'I can't help you if you won't tell me what's going on. We've made so much progress in these past months and you're doing so well.'

'I know we have and I'm sorry,' Ecie sobbed. 'I don't know what's happening and I don't know how I allowed this to happen again.'

'That's something,' Carole said comfortingly. 'What happened? What's happening again?'

'Everything,' Ecie sobbed. 'Everything is happening all over again.'

'Ecie,' Carole said leaning forward. 'You've got to help me help you. You've got to talk to me.'

'Get in,' Ellis said as Ecie walked down the street. 'I'll give you a ride home.'

'I did as you asked,' Ecie said continuing to walk. 'I've done everything you've asked, so leave me alone.'

'Can't we talk?' Ellis asked following Ecie.

'I've got nothing to say to you,' Ecie said. 'I don't want to hear what you've got to say.'

'Ecie,' Ellis said looking at her. 'I will only ask you one more time. Get in, I'll give you a ride home.'