31. Charlie

A/N: I can't believe I've reached thirty one already. I apologise for the quantity of dialogue in advance - believe me it is necessary.

And hooray to Jordan being at morning skate today.


I LOVE this song for this chapter too:Kyle Andrews - Sushi


ELLA'S POV


I heard Max’s words but I didn’t hear my reply. He had to be joking. “This is bullshit, right?” I asked, hoping he wasn’t confirming what I thought I’d just heard. Jordan kissed the top of my head again, reminding me that he was still there, soothingly stroking my back.

“I have to talk to Gina,” I said aloud, not meaning to, staring straight ahead as my eyes glazed over. I knew that Gina would have the rational answer to all of this. I felt out of my depth doing this alone. Jordan kissed the top of my head again. I know he was doing it because he wanted to help, but right now, kisses were not going to help me or Sophie for that matter.

“Do you want me to drive you?” Jordan offered, motioning to TK and Max to get the hell out of his apartment. I only nodded, not knowing what to say. Words didn’t seem appropriate, almost too much; but saying nothing wasn’t enough. I was still in shock, as I sat there, numbed by what I had just been told. If what Max and TK had alleged was true, that would explain why we hadn’t seen Sophie for a couple of weeks, why she came home to change her clothes and go out. Gina and I knew she’d been skipping classes, but we thought she was just stressed and letting it out her own way. Sophie had always been a free spirit, she always did things on a whim. She had that addictive personality and quickly got attached to whatever it was. But drugs? Sophie’s usually so moral. So why would Max and TK make something like that up? They didn’t know Sophie, I’m sure TK had never even met her, so it would have been Max who had recognised her. Gina will know what to do, I told myself again.

“C’mon, I’ll drive you,” Jordan said, scooping me off his lap.

“Jordan? Thanks,” I whispered as he carried me to the door. God knows why he was carrying me - he didn’t need to show me how strong he was and I’m more than capable of walking a few metres but his silent support spoke volumes.

He put me down, scooped up my books and buzzed the elevator. We rode down in comfortable silence, not like the last time where I’d been pressed up against the side when we couldn’t keep our hands off one another. The stark contrast reminded me that our attraction didn’t just lie in the bedroom. Jordan was reliable, well as reliable as you can be at twenty one. He held my hand as we walked through the underground car park to his car. I felt safe and secure sitting in the front as I put on some hip hop from Jordan’s iPod.

Part of me wanted to go back to the apartment, but I didn’t want to see Sophie and I didn’t want a reminder right now without seeing Gina first. Gina would know what to do. I texted Gina, letting her know where I was and to meet me for lunch or something.

“Are you sure you want to go and study?” Jordan asked me as he pulled up in front of campus, pulling his cap down more.

“My exams won’t write themselves, and I need to work more, I need distinctions,” I automatically replied. I sounded like a robot, chanting out the lines. I let out a little smile.

“Thank you.” I leaned in to give him a kiss and he pulled me towards him sealing my mouth against his in a searing kiss that left me with shivers and butterflies. I swallowed and pulled away, a smile gracing my lips. Despite the bad news, that one kiss alone had made my day.

“We have a game tonight, but maybe we can do something after? I’ll call you, and stay strong,” Jordan said as I closed the door, turning my back on him as I walked onto campus with a spring in my step.



“Hey Sophie,” Gina greeted her with as she entered the door. She looked gaunt and her clothes hung from her shoulders. Not the good skinny when you look alive – the bad skinny. Sophie’s skin was grey, her hair was lank and she looked like she’d spent time in a clothes dryer – the way her skin was stretched over her cheekbones.

“How was last night?” I asked assuming Sophie had been out partying. She shook her head, sitting down on the other couch across from us, folding one lanky leg over the other, showing off the ladders in her tights.

“Sophie, we know,” Gina said quietly. I watched Sophie for some type of reaction, but she just blinked. Gina continued. “The partying, the late nights, not attending school, the drugs…”

“What are you talking about?” Sophie said trying to feign innocence. I’ve known her too long to know when she’s lying.

“Quit it Soph. You were spotted, it doesn’t matter by who, but you were last night. Doing, selling whatever. Soph, why?” I demanded. I didn’t know if Gina’s ‘softly softly’ approach would work.

“Darling, you can’t party hard and not do coke, it’s practically illegal, plus everyone in Sean’s circle does it,” Sophie chirped. PAArty HARD. And if everyone got their butt’s tattooed or jumped off a cliff would you do it too?

“Um, Sophie, we don’t do coke and we can party just as hard as you,” Gina said, thinking back to freshman year.

“Besides, we don’t want to leave our nose with just one nostril. It’s not exactly attractive,” I added. I knew that wouldn’t help the situation but Sophie needed to know that if she continued to do coke and whatever else, there were going to be some irreversible effects to her physically and mentally.

“Soph, you’re one of my closest friends, but this is my apartment, and I love you to bits. But I want you to get clean… So you have a choice, either go to rehab or move out.” I knew I had to give her an ultimatum from her previous comment that ‘everyone does coke’.

I watched Sophie sit there in silence as Gina clutched my hand. A slow trickle appeared on Sophie’s face before another tear appeared and another. Instinctively I ran across to her and pulled her into a hug. No matter what she does, she still is one of my closest friends. We’ve been through so much together, and I won’t let this break us apart.

“Just get clean,” Gina whispered.