I leaned against the doorframe of my favourite intern's dorm room. I smiled. She really was amazing.
Go on Emmett. Tell her how you feel.
I took a few deep breaths in. She could make me so flustered even when she wasn't around. I turned and saw the woman herself, Little Miss Woods comma Elle, walking towards me.
This is your chance!
"Here she is, Intern of the Year." I said, chuckling.
"Thanks for your help and for all you've done."
Immediately I stopped laughing. Her eyes were red and her cheeks marked with tear stains and mascara.
"Thank you for treating me decently."
I took her hand and asked "What's wrong?"
What had happened to turn her from a happy, successful lawyer into the broken, crying person I saw before me?
"Maybe someday you can visit me. Give me a call, say hello."
She was leaving? She made a break for her door, but I put a hand there to stop her. I needed to help.
She couldn't leave. Not like this.
"Wait." I needed to know one thing at least. "Where are you going?"
She acted like she hadn't heard me as she turned away and said "Sorry I'm letting down everyone."
What was she saying? How could she let down anyone, let alone everyone?
"What brought on this?" Who could have done this to her?
"You did your best with a hopeless case."
She thought she was a hopeless case? After everything she'd accomplished? "That's ludicrous!"
She couldn't leave. She wasn't hopeless. What had happened?
"You are the best thing about this place." I noticed how she used the word were instead of are.
TELL HER NOW! STOP HER LEAVING!
I bundled up my courage and said "Elle, you should know –"
She cut me off. "Callahan hit on me."
I stood there for a second, feeling as if I had been slapped across the face. Callahan. The man, whom I had respected, whom she had respected, had hit on her?
"He what?" I asked, through my confused haze, although the confusion was quickly being replaced by a much stronger feeling.
"He kissed me, he fired me, he made perfectly clear I don't belong."
She made another run for her door, but I once again stopped her, anger pulsing through me, making me see red; however I was determined not to let her see it.
"He's wrong. We'll fix it, we'll fight it –"
She cut me off again. "Emmett," she said caressing my face.
My anger evaporating as I once again felt only concern for her.
"Please. There's no reason for me to stay." She dived inside of her door before I could stop her.
There was no reason for her to stay. What about us?
"What about love?" I called through her door. I turned and spoke half to myself, half to her.
"I never mentioned love. The timings bad, I know. But perhaps, if I'd made it more clear. That you belong right here you wouldn't have to go."
I turned back to her door. I had to make her stay. It was the only reason I would stay.
"Cause you'd know that I'm so much in love."
I heard her inside. "Back to the sun, back to the shore, back to what I was before."
She was going back to California? She couldn't. I had to stop her. I tried the door, but she had locked it. I had to speak to her. She couldn't go back.
"Please will you open the door?" I couldn't let her leave.
"Lie on the beach, dream within reach, don't stray beyond."
No! She can't go back. Not now!
"We both know you're worth so much more."
She kept going as if she couldn't hear me. Maybe she couldn't hear me! But her voice was coming closer.
"Some girls fight hard, some face the trial. Some girls were just meant to smile."
Her voice sounded as if she was just on the other side of the door. I had to tell her now.
"If you can hear, can I just say how much I want you to stay?"
She sounded apologetic, as if she had no choice but to go home.
"It's not up to me; just let me be, Legally Blonde."
Hearing her use Callahan's putdown for her almost made me rage again, but I couldn't. I had to get her to stay.
I was nearly crying as I pleaded. "I need you to stay."
But she merely repeated herself. "It's not up to me; just let me be Legally Blonde."
I slid down her door and put my head in my hands knowing there was nothing more I could do. She had to stay. I needed her. The next time I saw Callahan I was gonna-
"Emmett?" I looked up and saw Vivienne Kensington standing over me, looking worried. "What's wrong?"
I could barely get the words out. "Elle, Elle is, Elle's going home." I said.
I couldn't bear hearing the words out loud.
"Home?" Vivienne looked apprehensive, "You don't mean-?"
"Malibu, California." I admitted dejectedly.
"Because of Callahan?"
She knew then. At least someone else could understand. I couldn't even bring words anymore. I just nodded slowly, fighting back even more tears that were desperate to come.
"We have to stop her. She's Elle Woods. We need her."
She looked down at me with a knowing look. "You need her."
I know. I need Little Miss Woods comma Elle. I need her more than anything. Even more than I needed to find and murder Callahan.
"Tomorrow, she'll probably go to the Hair Affair to say goodbye to her friend Paulette." I said, trying to think of a plan in my head.
"Then that's where I'll be tomorrow." Vivienne said. She offered me her left hand and helped me up.
"She's not leaving. Not if I have anything to do with it."
It was only after she had turned and walked away that I noticed the absence of a ring on her finger.
