roommates

nine

It's safe to say that Ellie was not expecting to be thrown into the middle of this. 

 In Ellie's brain, her best friend was finally coming to stay with her for a bit, and they were going to get drunk and party. But instead, Quinn showed up on Ellie's doorstep in tears, and looked like she might pass out.

"Okay, what the fuck?" Ellie whispered to herself, practically carrying her best friend to her old room, as Quinn stared blankly, there wasn't a single thought that went through her head.

Well, there was one. Fuck you Clay. It was the last thing she said to him. She felt horrible, even if he was the one who just kicked her out of her home. He loved her at some point, right? He had to have.

"I'll explain everything, I promise," Quinn's voice sounded raspy, Ellie knew that she most likely cried the entire trip over, and it broke her heart for her best friend.

"We'll talk later, you need sleep, girl," Ellie said softly to her friend, tucking her into the bed like she was a child. In their dynamic, Quinn had always been the one to look after Ellie, seeing the roles reversed was absolutely crushing.

"Ellie?" Quinn said weakly, feeling her eyes brimming with tears for the fourth time, since 6 a.m.

"Yeah?" Ellie flipped off the light and looked to Quinn who was almost sickly pale.

"I love you. In case I don't say it enough," Quinn's voice was the reflection of heartbreak. Whatever happened to her, Ellie was feeling it too. Her own eyes filled with tears.

"I love you too, Q." Ellie closed the door behind her, letting out a deep sigh. What happened? She picked up her phone and saw that she had two missed calls from George, four from Nick, and three calls and a voicemail from Clay. It wasn't a mystery that the situations were related. As she went to open her phone, it buzzed in her hand, a text from Clay.

Is she with you?

And then another.

Is she okay?

And another.

I'm so sorry.

Ellie wasn't a scholar, but she could piece this puzzle together. For a moment, she wanted to call Clay first, to hear from him, knowing how hard her best friend had fallen for him. But Ellie knew better. She listened to his voicemail.

"Hey Ellie. It's Clay... But you knew that, didn't you? Fuck... Ellie... I've done and fucked everything up, for- for good this time. I know that she's coming to you- So just, please... I need to know she's okay. I need to know she's safe. Oh shit, I gotta go... I'm sorry."

He had been crying. In every pause, she could hear tiny pieces of his heart shatter, and the grogginess in his voice was enough to make Ellie even more confused. Clay sounded like he was in the car, alone, and very upset. Nothing was making sense. She called Nick.

"Ellie?" He answered with concern, "Tell me Quinn's with you."

"She's here," Ellie was being stern, she wasn't gonna let some stupid guys hurt her best friend like this, "What the fuck is going on? George called, you called, Clay called, left a message, and texted me, what happened this morning?"

"It's a long story," Nick said, clearing his throat, before realizing what Ellie had just said, "Wait, Clay called you? What the hell, that piece of-"

"Nick, I don't have time to hear you rant about stupid guy shit, why was Quinn sobbing on my doorstep this morning, looking like she was going to collapse?" Ellie was pacing around her kitchen, she had hoped that he would start talking soon.