Rae felt anger spill over her, hot and warm like syrup. It seemed to consume her until it was all she could feel. Anger and annoyance at Darren, at the world, at every mistake that had led to this situation.

Making the immediate decision, Rae pocketed her phone and grabbed her school bag.

"I be going out!", she called to her mother.

"Where?," Mrs. Casey called back.

"To a friends house!"

"Now you be holding on a moment—"

But Rae had already left. She was running down the hospital steps and down the hallways, adrelinen fueling her steps. She got onto the closest transport and closed her eyes, collapsing onto the platform. When she did get to Darren's house, she realised she'd run away without thinking. Darren was obviously still at school.

She'd wait it out. Rae perched onto the railing of his doorstep, eyeing the plants that she had once found so beautiful. They just annoyed her now. Everything about Darren did.

She just didn't understand how someone could screw up so badly so quickly. She didn't understand how her heart could be shattered in mere seconds.

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Darren arrived about an hour later, looking sweaty and tired from school. His face lit up when he saw Rae, and raised his hand to wave but then noticed her expression and faltered.

"Rae! What you be doing here?" He ran over to sit next to her and she got goosebumps over her arm from his gaze, but not in the way she used to. "Why you be running from school? Everything be okay?"

Rae felt choked up from everything she was feeling. He wanted to know if everything was okay... he wanted everything to be alright. And so did she. But there are some actions that cannot be reversed.

Hands shaking, unable to speak, Rae pulled out her phone and showed him the screen. Darren looked confused. Rae didn't know how he still didn't get it. Had he always been this stupid? Had she, blinded by her fancy, not been able to spot his many flaws?

"Yes, I be sending that." He beamed at her, as if he expected her to be proud. "Oh no, I be making a typo? I thought I be checking it over—"

"No you big oaf, you still don't get it?" Rae got up, wanting to get far away from him all of a sudden. "You be sending this to the entire school. What happened to secrecy?"

"Oh, that be what this is." He got up as well, still smiling in his easy going ways. "Rae, they be kids, like us. We can be trusting them!"

"I can't trust anyone right now!" Rae's voice sounded shrill, even to herself. "What I be doing be extremely dangerous, and it not be having any space for something like trust. I be regreting even trusting you now!"

The hurt in his face was so real, that beyond her satisfaction, beyond her anger, Rae felt a pang of pain deep inside her. There was a moment of silence where they both just stood facing each other, Rae with her fists clenched.

"Okay. I understand. I be stupid. I be screwing things up, as usual. I'm sorry, I be deleting it right now—"

This was the point where Rae should have proabably backed down. After all, he was apologizing, he was acting mature, but Rae didn't feel like it. She was a teenager after all, a teenager placed in situations no teenager would ever want to be in. And she couldn't help but feel like the reaction was lacking. Like Darren still didn't comprehend what he had done. Like no one understood that this wasn't just a game to play and toss away. And for a teenager, it is terrible to feel misunderstood.

"Deleting it do no good now! Everyone's already seen it."

"Well then what you be wanting me to do? I already be apologizing!"

"No-no, you know what, I knew it, you don't care at all, and I don't accept your apology!"

"Look, I just be advertising, like you asked me to!"

Heat was rising to Rae's cheeks now, blending in with her freckles. "I never be asking for you to do something like this! You be having no idea what you be doing, I could be getting caught!"

Darren went quiet for a minute, and then spoke in a voice that was barely above a whisper. "I be lying about my dad, you know. He not be at work the other day when you visited. He not be going to work for 10 years."

The heat had left Rae now, and was replaced with a sick, empty feeling.

"He be— he passed away."

"I be sorry about that... but... what's that supposed to do? Win me over with pity?"

"No, you not be hearing the full story yet." Darren took a deep breath as if to start, but they were interrupted by the sound of beeping.

Rae looked over to the driveway as a car rolled up. Darren's mother peeked out the window of her car, looking confused. Of course she has a car, Rae thought bitterly, Why wouldn't she?

Darren wanted to speak again, but Rae interrutped him before he could. "You know what, nevermind. Delete it please, I need to go back home."

"Please Rae, please let me be making it up to you. It all only be to help, I promise!"

Rae looked back, and she knew it would be the last time she'd be able to look at Darren like this. His hand was outstretched as if it were the only thing tethering him to her. As if he were pleading for her to take it.

"It be risky. And I can't be affording this type of risk right now." With that said, Rae turned on her heel as Darren's mother opened the door to her car. She left him in her dusk, half part of her still fuming and the other part of her at loss.
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A.N: Am I a bad person for actually really enjoying writing this chapter? XD

I hope you enjoyed this chapter (😂 no), remember to vote and comment... and here's a potato:

:)