The girl held her gaze expectantly at her best friend. Waiting. And when she started to speak, but left his sentence hanging, as well as his head, Ellie'd figured that was it. He had nothing to say. He knew he couldn't redeem himself. He was going to give her more time to process the mere act of what he did, before burdening her, perhaps pointlessly, to his reasoning behind it.

Yet, just when she was about to pivot back in the direction she'd been walking, and continue, he burst. And Ellie avoided looking at him. Tried to pretend he wasn't Max right now. He was some team member that she'd yet to get to know, to care about.

It was really hard. Between his words, and sniffles, and so obvious signs of tears. But her anger was strong. She kept a straight face.

The awful truth was, Ellie wasn't the best listener. Especially when it all came at her at once. And there were very few sentences that stuck out to her. That she remembered. That she gave time to think on.

And she came to the conclusion that Max was being incredibly selfish. And confusing. He liked Quidditch, but didn't want to play? He was only playing for her? Well....was that such a bad thing, Maximus? That her last year - her, arguably, most important year of Quidditch - he decided to not be there for her? Couldn't he quit next year? Couldn't he suffer, if Quidditch really was so horrible, through one more year for her?

Ellie didn't even know what to say. But...she had to say something, right? "You're a brilliant Keeper, Max," she said, keeping her eyes off of the boy. "I always approved." Though, she wasn't sure why her approval mattered. "You could be the worst and I'd approve." He wouldn't be on the team, but at least that was a legitimate reason. Not because he seemed to suddenly dislike the sport. Which was what it seemed like to her. That, regardless of what he said, he did wake up yesterday, and decide that he was too good, or not good enough, for it.

Her head turned as she looked toward the end of the abandoned corridor. She took another deep breath and swallowed hard. "I hope you're happy now. If happiness is what you're looking for by quitting." Ellie might not have given him the acknowledgement, but she did sincerely mean what she said. He was still her best friend. Even if she was utterly angry with him.