"Sabrina," I called out when I spotted the blonde heading to the parking lot. I fast-walked behind her. "Sabrina."

She kept her back to me as if I wasn't speaking to her. I was going to make her listen to me, even if she didn't want to. She stopped at a green Chevrolet, and I caught up with her at the driver's side.

"What do you want?" she asked while digging through her book bag for her keys. When she found it, I snatched it away. "Hey!" 

I kept the keys out of her reach. "I'm going to talk, and you're going to listen." She frowned. "I've never trusted you, and I've never liked you, and you proved me right. How could you?" I stared at her, hoping for something beyond a numb expression. I didn't get it. "Mi Yun liked you so much. She was there for you. We fought because she believed in you, and you do this to her? An 'experiment?' Really?"

"It's none of your business," she said.

"When it involves my friend, it is," I retorted. "Mi Yun is good for you. She's stable. She's loyal. She's fun. How can you give that up? Do you like what's good for you?"

"I don't," she said to my shock. "I cling onto those who don't love me, and I throw away those who do." She chuckled, but it was forced. "That's something, isn't it?"

I watched her, not knowing what to say. "You have a problem."

Sabrina's entire expression hardened. "You think I don't know that?!" I almost flinched, but I held my ground. "If I didn't have a problem, I never would have broken up with Jax." I glanced away at the mention of his name. "I never would have dated Brice, and I wouldn't be doing this to Mi Yun."

"Then why are you?" I asked.

This girl made no sense.

"I don't know," she said, with her voice coming out strained. "I don't know why I do half the things that I do. I should have spared Mi Yun and never should have dated her. She's better off without me, anyway."

She reached for her keys, but I pulled it back. "Shouldn't she get a say in this?"

"Trust me," Sabrina said, "she doesn't want to be with me."

"It should be her decision," I said, keeping my voice firm. "You guys should be partners, making decisions together, not separate. Talk to her."

I spent weeks wanting Mi Yun to stay away from Sabrina, and now that the opportunity arose, I was trying to get them back together. What a strange world.

But I wanted my friend happy. Unfortunately, Sabrina Fraser did that.

"Maybe instead of having all this angst and self-pity, you can focus on getting some help," I said. "I don't know your issues. I don't want to know your issues, but obviously, you need something. Happiness isn't granted to you. You have to seek it, and maybe it's time you start doing that."

Sabrina chuckled. "You think it's that simple."

"Obviously not," I said, "but you have to start from somewhere. If there's anyone who would be by your side, it's Mi Yun."

Sabrina shook her head. "It's better this way." She reached over and grabbed the keys out of my hand.

"Sabrina!" I shouted as she entered the car and began to reverse out. "Talk to Mi Yun."

I got out of the way, and she didn't say anything, choosing to drive off instead.

For the first time, I didn't feel a disdain for Sabrina. All I felt was pity.

With that, I went back to the flagpole, so I could call Daddy to pick me up. Jax wasn't feeling well. He had to stay home today, and I wanted to visit him, but he said I shouldn't. I still wasn't allowed to be at his house. All I could do was send him a get-well text, and maybe call him later tonight.

I smiled at the thought of Jax. Things weren't as awkward between us anymore, but there was still some tension. Mi Yun called it "sexual tension" while Sadaf called it "longing tension," but they were being ridiculous. They needed to stop entertaining this idea of me and Jax because it only made me cling onto it more, and I couldn't.

I had Brice.

"Estella." Brice came into my line of vision, and I almost smiled. Until I saw his face. He was on the verge of tears. "Can we go to my car?"

I stood up with my full attention on him. "Brice, what's—"

"Let's go to my car," he said, grabbing my arm and leading me away.

I wanted to ask so many questions and say so much, but I nodded instead. I had to be here for him for whatever was happening.

I was relieved when we made it into the black BMW, and I turned up the AC as high as Brice usually left it. I was cold, but this wasn't about me. It was about him, and he ran his shaking hands down his face.

"Brice." He stopped, releasing a heavy sigh. "What happened?"

He swallowed. "My mom just got admitted into the hospital."

No. Not again.

"I should have known," he said with a brief chuckle. "I should have known that she's been manic for a while now."

Mania. I had a better understanding of what it was now that I'd done research. As soon as Brice told me about schizo-affective disorder, bipolar type, I found out more about it.

"Staying up late," he said. "Talking to friends and family out of the blue. Having all this energy to do things. I even saw her using OkCupid." He stopped for a second, thinking. "My mom only tries to cheat when she's manic."

People thought mania was fun. I personally didn't see the thrill of potentially going bankrupt, or cheating on your partner, or humiliating yourself, or treating your body so poorly with lack of sleep and sometimes lowered appetite. From what Brice told me, mania didn't sound so fun.

"What was the final straw?" I asked.

Brice took in a deep breath before answering. "She tried to jump off the roof." My eyes went wide. "She thought the angels were calling to her to join them in heaven, and she had to claim her rightful place by killing herself." 

His jaw was tense as he glared ahead, at nothing in particular. "Brice." I reached for his hand, and he allowed me to interlock them. He tightened his hold the instant he felt my palm. "I'm not going anywhere, okay? I'm here for you."

I wasn't before, but I was now.

"I don't want to keep doing this," he said. "These hospitalizations don't only impact her. It affects all of us. Everything feels a little darker when she's in the hospital." He finally met my gaze, and his eyes held so much hurt. "But they keep happening. It's like we're always waiting for the other shoe to drop, and when it does, we still don't see it coming."

I rubbed my free thumb along the back of his hand that held mine. "Just allow yourself to feel what you're feeling," I said. "Don't judge yourself for it." He smiled at me. "We'll get through this, Brice."

I returned his smile, and he brought his free hand up to caress my cheek. "You're amazing, Estella." He moved closer, and I told myself to keep calm as his eyes met mine. "I don't know why I didn't notice you before."

I snickered. "I don't know."

The look in his eyes were intense. "Now, that I do, I can't stop noticing you," he said, and both our expressions became serious as we stared at each other. "Thank you for always being here for me."

I cupped his jaw in my hand. "I'll always be here."

Before he could smile, I pressed my lips to his, and he instantly responded, grabbing my hair in his hand as we pulled each other close. His lips were usually aggressive, but they were gentler this time, but they still had the same intensity. He was hurting, and there wasn't much I could do but remind him that I was here. Not only my lips, but me.

"Thank you," Brice whispered before claiming my lips again. I allowed him to kiss me as hard and as much as he wanted.

This was his moment.

I said this, but I shouldn't have been thinking about Jax in his house, alone and sick.