After what happened the other day, after the pain and the tears and the sleepless nights, Xenja didn't know what to do.

She didn't expect to once again see the face with those warm hazel eyes, even less so in front of her own home. Unable to deal with the stress and conflict in her heart, she just ran for it. She ran, afraid of being hurt even more, afraid of becoming vulnerable in front of her once again.

"I'm so sorry!" came Stevie's voice through the door, dampened by the wind and the glass. Xenja didn't quite catch the rest of what the girl said, but an apology was something different than what her mind was expecting.

Unable to move just a single muscle, Xenja froze, trying to realize what was happening. Stevie was out there in the cold, crying and begging for forgiveness. Had she come here just to talk to Xenja? Or did she merely pass here by chance? Either way, no one had ever apologized to Xenja after hurting her - not kids in school and definitely not her own mother.

Even though the hurtful evening was still weighing her down, too heavy to move even one inch, Xenja too not only remembered the bad events of the fatal day. No, her brain was also replaying the memories of when she was hopeful, thinking she could finally make a friend, had she been wanting that for as long as she could remember.

She questioned herself, her hands getting tight. Would she be able to repeat it all? Pushing her social anxiety aside, smiling, stretching and dressing - acting like a normal person - for a second time. To Xenja, that seemed more than just doubtful.

Seconds passed, possibly minutes, with both girls not moving in dead silence. Stevie had not looked up from the ground a single time, snow gathering on her shaking shoulders. Xenja wanted her to look up, wanted to see those warm brown eyes smile, as when she first saw them. It would've been the small push she needed to open the door.

The one missing bump didn't come. Instead, Stevie's hands formed fists against the glass, her own pain making room for anger.

First a word so quiet that the wind swallowed it, then Stevie yelled, "Please!" followed by a harsh "Goddammit!"

Xenja watched as Stevie turned around, still without looking inside. She stormed away, holding her own wrist tightly for a few moments. As she pulled her phone out from her pocket and tried to use it, she got even angrier when her mitts kept her from doing so. Stevie pulled off her gloves, throwing them away into the snow, almost slipping on the frozen street in her hectic movements.

Even more than the pain of the other night, Xenja's heart was aching from seeing Stevie in this state, totally lost in her pain and anger. She couldn't take it anymore, she wanted to see those eyes smile, confident as they were before. As long as she could do something to ease this pain and stop the tears of the desperate girl out there, she would grasp that chance.

So she gave herself the last push. Trying not to think.

The door swung open and she ran, ran faster than ever in her life, after the girl that was losing herself in hatred. Wishing she could call out her name, make her turn around and wait, Xenja opened her mouth but nothing besides her panting would come out. She didn't need to. She knew, that even without words, through music, her heart would speak, louder than anyone's voice. All she needed was another chance.

Slipping and sliding over the ice, a teary-faced Xenja caught up to Stevie, instinctively throwing both arms around the blonde girl, crashing into a hug from behind.

For a moment, everything fell silent as sounds drifted into a distance. The faraway noise of a bustling city, people talking nearby, all of it disappeared. All that the two girls heard was Xenja's heavy panting against Stevie's back, as they were standing in the street, illuminated by the sun that had just shown itself from behind the clouds. The snow had stopped falling, and if they hadn't known better, those two girls would have thought the world halted together with their movements, giving them the time they needed.

Not only had she kept Stevie in her track, Xenja was still holding her as tightly as possible, squeezing all of the anger out of the stunned girl's body.

After the silence caused by the shock vanished and Stevie realized what was going on, she turned her head, looking back at Xenja. The short girl was holding her as if a life depended on it, showing no signs of letting go.

"Xe... Xenja?" Stevie mumbled at the sight in front of her face. Only once she realized what she had done, Xenja tore open her eyes and looked back at the face that was staring at her in disbelief. Those hazel eyes she wanted to see were right there, inches away from her face, the makeup that had been decorating them mixed with the tears on the girl's cheeks.

Never having been this close to someone else than her mother, which had to be years ago, had Xenja uncomfortable. She didn't know what to do now, had she not planned on hugging Stevie like that, but the warmth of this hug felt like something Xenja had longed for.

Not wanting to make the blonde girl any more uncomfortable, she slowly let go and stepped back to give her some space. Unable to communicate through words, Xenja took Stevie's hand and lightly pulled her in the direction of the apartment building.

"Do you want me to follow you?" the blonde girl asked, her mood reflecting the change in weather. Looking at those brown eyes that finally had a hint of joy in them, Xenja nodded and led the way, not letting go of the hand that was still warm from the glove. She had no reason to hold Stevie's hand - she didn't even know if it was alright to do so - but she couldn't bring herself to let go, as if she was scared of losing this chance once again.