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TRIGGER WARNING: Homophobia/Verbal Abuse

 "I promise I'm not a heartless monster," Sam says against my ribcage.

"I believe you."

"None of you will ever follow my rules." I hear the nurse's defeated voice from outside the room.

"Of course." Someone else says.

Sam and I pull apart and turn to the person standing before us.

"I came here to see how you were doing, but Sam beat me to it," Chlo says, annoyed.

"Um, I'm glad you came?" I say, still not understanding why she's acting like she is. Folding my arms, I say, "I thought we were no longer friends."

"I was just mad. But I'm ready to listen." Chlo says.

"You were just mad? This isn't about you, Chlo! You can't just make me feel like absolute crap and ruin my day, then come back and tell me you were just mad."

Sam looks between us and then juts her thumb toward the door. "I'll be outside," she mumbles, and then she leaves.

"I'm sorry," Chlo says. "You've been the one refusing to tell me anything!"

I narrow my eyes at her. "That's because I didn't know how you'd react!"

"But you decided Sam should know?! You barely even know her!" Chlo yells. "Just f*cking tell me, Victoria. It's not that hard!"

Chlo's never cussed me out before. That slightly scared me because I didn't know who she'd become.

I stare at her, bothered by her behavior. "Fine."

I recount everything to her with my head in my hands, starting from the time when Sam and I were stuck in the cave until the party where she got drugged. I even tell her the real reason that I had to move cabins.

Chlo looks at me, but I can't quite read her expression. "So . . . what? Are you, like, gay now?"

After everything I told her, this is all she cares about.

"I—I don't know, that's not the point—"

"I can't believe this," she says, shaking her head. "I feel so weird. I don't even know you anymore." She hugs herself with her arms.

"Yes you do, I'm still me."

Chlo looks away.

"No, you're not. You kissed a girl." She says, leaning away from me a bit.

I stare at her with pleading eyes. "I know, but I—"

"I can't even look at you."

"Chlo you're overreacting."

"Don't tell me I'm overreacting," she snaps suddenly. "I should've known you'd turn out like this. You're . . . disgusting."

***

"I need to end this," I whisper to myself after Sam enters the room.

"What did you say?" She asks.

I look at her as if I'm taking in her beauty for the last time.

I take a deep breath. "I—I'm sorry. I'm aware I got mad when you said it, but this is just too much right now. All of this."

Sam leans back slightly, folding her arms apprehensively. "I don't follow . . . "

"This little situation right here," I gesture between us. "Needs to end."

I watch as the understanding appears on her face. For a quick moment, she looks hurt, then she sighs.

"Fine."

I gawk at her. "'Fine?'" I echo. "You're not mad?"

"No." She says, looking away. "It was getting on my nerves, anyway."

I close my hanging-open jaw. Somehow this hurts even more than Chlo's dramatic exit.

"Well, fine!" I say. Like I care.

***

The next morning, the nurse comes in with a cheery smile on her face.

"You can leave now, mi niña," she says, gently pushing the hair out of my face.

"Already?" I ask.

"Yes, unless you want to stay with me."

"I don't really want to go back," I say honestly.

"You like it here?"

"Yeah. It's . . . peaceful."

"With the amount of times your friends burst in here? Ay, mija."

I frown at the reminder.

"Sorry about that," I say, hanging my head.

"Ah, it's okay. But don't you want to see your . . . girlfriend?"

"What girlfriend?"

"That girl that came first. She really wanted to see you. Ignored everything I told her."

"Oh," I laugh nervously. "Her. She's not my girlfriend."

"I see."

"She's not," I say.

She still doesn't seem convinced.

"I'm not going to see her." I press.

Nurse Reina raises her eyebrows. "Because you argued?"

I look at her, and she taps the side of her head. "Nurse Reina knows everything." She explains.

I nod. "Not exactly. It's . . . complicated."

"Ah, too bad. She'll soon come around."

I offer a meager smile. "Maybe."

She studies my face for some time before answering.

"I'll let you stay,"

I smile. "Really?"

"On one condition." She says. "You have to go to the stargazing event in the evening."

"What? But I have no one to go with!"

She gives me a look like I don't know what I'm talking about.

I fold my arms. "I'm not going with her." I repeat.

"Make new friends."

Okay.

That evening, I reluctantly trudged out of bed and got ready.

Stacey and Adysen visited me during the day, which was nice, but it didn't fill the deep hole in my heart.

People lay blankets on the grass and choose their spots. I gravitate towards the group of my roommates, Carson, Deavon, and a few other girls and boys.

"Hey," Carson says when he notices me. "You look rough."

"Yeah," I say, not taking offense. "I'm just tired."

"Yeah, me too." He says, looking at me.

" . . . Did something happen?"

"Kind of . . . Gunnar and I stopped talking."

"Oh no, how come?" I turn to him, genuinely interested. Anything to take my mind off of Sam.

He tells me how Gunnar was so overly paranoid about anyone finding out about them that Carson felt he wasn't paying enough attention to him.

"I don't know. It just got to be too much, and he just kept reassuring me.  . . . But at some point, you gotta have some self-respect, right?"

"Right," I say, nodding.

"Anyway, let's forget about all that and have fun tonight."

A/N:

Sorry, this was a really short chapter. I somehow had a test in three of my classes today that I had to prepare all week for. Three. (I think I failed)

This song is my life btw.

Hope you had fun reading!

<3