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It was nearing the end of the semester, Christmas was approaching and the whole town was still mourning the loss of a young soul and the revealing of the horrors of abusing. So, the town council, the principle and some rich parents decided to throw a winter ball for high schoolers in hopes of rising their spirits.
And so for days that lead up to it, everybody was busy. Girls and boys were preparing themselves. The elders took care of the place it would be held at, drinks, food and decorations and they left the music to the teenagers.
Everybody seemed to move on and it bothered Brooke because she felt stuck on the kidnapping. She was still hurt and she was still processing what had happened yet nobody gave it a second thought.
She was a pile of emotions. A building collapsing on itself and she didn't know how to put herself back together. It was exhausting trying to locate the question and the answer. She just wanted to sleep or cry herself into a coma. She felt so alone. So crazy. She felt like she was being shut out from the rest of the world and thrown into a pocket universe of sadness and crippling thoughts. She could barely make herself get up in the morning or greet her parents or feed her dogs. Her ordinary routine that she was so used to became a burden.
She felt like a burden on others.
And as much as she wanted to open up to Alistair, her friends and her parents, she couldn't.
She was just losing her mind.
She wasn't okay and as she realised that she broke down crying, again.
This time it was during lunch, in a empty bathroom. She went inside a stall and locked the door before leaning on it. She covered her mouth as tears ran down her cheeks. She counted the numbers out of order to try and lessen the hysteria. She tried to think of something else but all she could think about is the blood splattering on her face as Orion pulled the trigger.
It's all my fault. She thought as a sob escaped her.
Her phone kept vibrating in her pocket but she ignored it. The silence made her feel even more vulnerable and lonely.
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Lunch was almost over and it was unlike Brooke to miss it. It was the only thing they all shared in their schedule. She wasn't picking up her phone and nobody has seen her after class. Izzy was getting worried.
"Have you seen Brooke?" She asked Alistair as he sat his bag down on the floor.
"No, she said she needed to go to the bathroom." Izzy sighed. That clearly meant she needed some time alone but Izzy was worried so she got up.
"Where are you going?" Sully asked.
"To the bathroom," she didn't give any further information so the boys got up as well.
They all knew Brooke was struggling and they knew that she was isolating herself but they wouldn't let her go through this alone. So they walked towards the bathroom in confident strides. Their focus is only on helping a friend who has always been there for them.
Izzy opened the door first. She checked for girls and when she found none, she opened the door from the guys. They could hear light sniffling and sobbing coming for the last stall so Izzy took a deep breath and then knocked.
"Hey, B," she started. "It's me, Izzy."
"Alistair and Sully are also here," Izzy leaned on the door. "We're worried about you."
Silence filled the room for a moment until the sound of the lock turning interrupted it. Izzy stepped back as Brooke opened the door slowly. She gazed up at them, her cheeks stained with tears. She stared at them, her bottom lip wobbled and she started crying again.
Izzy quickly wrapped her arms around Brooke as she fell to the ground. Izzy hugged her tightly, like she was holding a broken thing to prevent it from shattering further.
Alistair and Sully knelt down beside them and involved them in a hug as well. Together they blended. Love for each other coursing through them. Trying to prove to Brooke that she is never alone, that they will always be there for her and love her unconditionally.
"I love you," she sobbed.
"Us too." Sully whispered. He kissed her forehead. His thump rubbing gently against Izzy's, or Alistair he wasn't sure, trying to comfort them as well. They were all together in this. Through thick and thin.
After a few more minutes of crying all around, they collected themselves. They helped each other off the ground. Before they left the bathroom, Alistair grabbed Brooke's shoulder.
"I know you don't wanna talk about it and you know that I'm here whenever you need me but I also know that sometimes talking to a friend or a family member isn't enough so my therapist recommend another therapist that might be able help more than I can." Brooke held his hand. She looked up to his eyes and smiled.
"Thank you. You have helped me more than you can imagine."
And at that moment, Alistair wanted to cry as well. He is helpful.
It's short, I know. Not gonna apologise for thatbecauseI like how it turned it out.
It is unedited. Like really unedited. It was spare of moment kinda chapter. I was having a mental breakdown and listening to sad songs when the idea came. Also it's like 3 in the morning and I am sick so..... yeahhhh
(update) I edited it a bit and added some stuff. I hope it is better now.
Anyway... I think a chapter or two are left of this story. It's coming to an end people! Prepare your heart for some feels!
Also, can we talk about how Alistair has come full circle?
Lastly, thank you for reading and I hope you have enjoyed it.
