Celine and Rick sprinted towards the house, hoping to outpace Regan and reach it before she did. Unfortunately, they were too late, and upon arrival, they found that Regan had already entered the house before them.

"Fuck." Rick hissed out angrily.

Celine and Rick moved past Regan, their faces expressing a mixture of guilt and resignation. Rick, however, wore an unreadable expression, his face conveying a sense of detachment or indifference to the situation.

"Everyone get out of my house!" Regan shouted so everyone could hear.

The place went silent as everyone stared at the older lady who owned the place.

The teenagers promptly complied , exiting the house as constructed. A couple of seconds went by and it was just them four.

Regan placed her purse down on the island, "I'm so disappointed," she started off.

"This had nothing to do with me!" Rina defended.

"Yeah what type of 16 year old would disobey her mother and throw a party with teens who isn't her age, of course I know it wasn't you." Regan said

Regan's gaze shifted from Rina to Celine and then to Rick, her focus now on the latter two. With a firm tone, she addressed Celine, acknowledging her responsible nature. "I know it wasn't you, Celine," Regan stated, her voice carrying a hint of disappointment. "You know better than to do something like this."

Rick let out a frustrated sigh, his expression revealing a lack of remorse or concern for the situation. His nonchalant attitude was evident as he stood there, appearing indifferent to the consequences of his actions.

"Rick," Regan called

"It's currently 11PM ain't no way you did something like this again, and behind my back too?!— I see a broken lamp over there! — there's crumbs on my floor and cans of soda on my tables!" She yells.

Rick avoided eye contact with his mother, Regan, who wore a look of exhaustion on her face. She appeared mentally and physically drained, the weight of her emotions evident in her weary expression.

"Look at me boy!" Regan yelled at her son.

Celine stood there awkwardly, witnessing the tense exchange between Rick and his mother, Regan. Anger was palpable on Regan's face as she faced her son, finally receiving his undivided attention.

"You're going to have fun cleaning all night!— and I don't care about how tired you will be for school tomorrow." Regan spat.

In an attempt to intervene and diffuse the situation, I stepped in, claiming responsibility for the party that had been thrown. "I did it, Regan," I lied, my voice steady despite the deception.

As all eyes turned to me, Regan's tone softened upon hearing my confession. However, the disappointment in her voice was still evident. "What?" Regan questioned, her voice betraying a mix of disappointment and bewilderment.

"It was me, Rick and Rina told me not too but I still did."

"I'm sorry." I said

Rick watched me in surprise, his expression now transforming. The guilt and sympathy were clearly visible on his face, his mind likely churning with questions about why she would take the blame for him.

Regan stood there momentarily speechless, her mind grappling with the unexpected turn of events. "Very well.." She said handling me a garbage bag.

"You better get to cleaning then." She simply stated

She took one more glance at the three of us before making her way upstairs to her room, leaving us all alone.

☙❧☙❧

Rick observed Celine's actions as she gathered trash and placed it in the garbage bag. He was both surprised and moved by her decision to take the fall for him. The gesture was unexpected, and it left him feeling conflicted. Part of him was grateful for her sacrifice, but another part of him felt an unfamiliar sense of guilt, uncertain of how to respond to her selflessness.

"Ain't no way you let her take the blame for you, mom knows deep down that she didn't really do it." Rina says.

Rick sighs, he knows that his younger sister is right.

"My real question is what made her do that, what type of girl would lie for a boy like you!? You're literally a bully!" Rina states.

"It's not fair for her, Celine has been nothing but kind to you. You have to change your ways Rick, You got people out here that cares about you, but somehow you don't give a crap about anyone but yourself." Rina said before walking off making Rick ponder.

Rick head over to Celine taking the garbage bag from her. "I got it from here, go get some sleep." He said.

I watched him pick up the trash from the tables. "Okay." I said making my way to the kitchen.

As Rick watched Celine collect the broom and start sweeping, a moment of hesitation hung in the air. He broke the silence, calling out her name. "Celine..." he began.

"Why are you doing this, I threw the party, not you— why are you taking the blame." he glared at me, waiting for a response.

"Because I understand Rick, I understand now."

"Understand what Celine?!"

I turned my gaze towards Rick, my voice betraying a blend of nervousness and determination. "I did it because of my love for you," I confessed bluntly, my words carrying a sense of honesty.

Rick's eyes widened slightly at Celine's forthright declaration of love. For a moment, he stood there, caught off guard and speechless, his mind struggling to process her words.

Rick continued cleaning, his gaze shifting away from Celine's eyes. With a hint of frustration in his voice, he retorted, "You know nothing about love." His words carried a mixture of disappointment.

Celine's smile faded at Rick's words, her expression clouding with confusion and hurt. "What do you mean?" she echoed.

"Love isn't real, it's just a word someone made up." he said

"What I did for you today was out of love—

"And What you did for me was unnecessary, I never asked for you to do that." He interrupted

"Where is this attitude coming from?"

Rick abruptly took the broom from Celine's hands, his gaze avoiding hers. His silence was deafening, and his actions.

"You should get some sleep, your going to be tired." he stated bluntly

Celine's eyes were fixed on Rick, tears threatening to well up, though she fought against them. Her lips pressed together in a thin line, and her head shook slightly, a subtle expression of disbelief at Rick's cold demeanor. Her body language spoke volumes, conveying disappointment and hurt in response to Rick's distancing behavior.

"Everyday,"

"Everyday I try so fucking hard—

"To get my childhood friend to like me, even if it's just as friends, but your heart is so cold and filled with hatred.."

Rick paused his sweeping, his back facing me as he stands there in silence listening.

"You know—before my mother died she used to tell me to don't ever regret being nice to bad people. Because everyone offers what's in their hearts."

"it means that people's actions are driven by their internal nature or heart, and being kind to others, even those who aren't kind in return, reflects positively on one's own character and should not be something to regret."

"So if you ask me right now, I would tell you Rick that I do not regret being so kind to you even if that made me look weak, because I know you need the love more than I do with the hatred you have in yours."

Celine couldn't hold back the tears any longer, and a single tear slipped down her cheek as she made her way up the steps.

Rick watched as she walked away, a pang of guilt tugging at him as he saw her tear-streaked face. Deep down, he knew that Celine's declaration of love had awakened something within him, a feeling he had been denying for a while. But fear and insecurity held him back.

In a moment of frustration and anger, Rick hurled a glass cup against the wall, the sound of shattering glass echoing through the room. His emotions were a tangled mess, and the sight of Celine's tears had only heightened his internal conflict. Rick dropped to his knees, his fists clenched tightly, as he grappled with a mix of anger, guilt, and self-directed frustration.

Rick's voice broke the silence, his words filled with self-directed frustration. "Why am I always so angry?" he muttered to himself, his emotions boiling over. "I mess everything up!"

☙❧☙❧
𝐓𝐖; 𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐅𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐌
-

Celine entered the bathroom, her eyes focusing on her reflection in the mirror. The weight of the tears streaming down her face was palpable, each drop carrying with it a piece of her pain and hurt. Standing there, she stared at herself, taking in the evidence of her own heartache, and allowed the emotions to wash over her.

"Is it me?" Celine muttered

Celine stood in front of the bathroom mirror, her fingers tracing over her face as she searched for flaws. She meticulously examined every inch of her skin, scrutinizing her own appearance and searching for faults in her reflection. Her thoughts were consumed by insecurities, each touch on her skin a reminder of the perceived imperfections she saw in herself.

Celine's voice trembled as she whispered to herself, her tears still streaming down her face. "Why does he hate me?" she questioned, her words laced with anguish. "Is it because of my skin? Am I ugly?" Each word echoed the insecurities and self-doubt that plagued her mind. The mixture of hurt and uncertainty added an extra layer of pain to the already emotional situation.

Celine reached into her pocket and pulled out a small pocket knife, a gift from her mother—a knife intended for self-defense. In that moment, as she stared at the blade, a mixture of emotions coursed through her. Fear, heartbreak, and desperation swirled together in the depths of her mind.

She placed the blade of the knife on her wrist next to her 6 month olds scars, and cut deep, tears releasing more from her eyes. Her face wincing from the pain.

"I'm sorry mother." She mumbled.