Damage

Chapter 29

WOW, it's been a long wait. but to make it up to you guys, this chapter is INCREDIBLY long. seriously, i worked really hard on it lol. and i filled it with tons of symbolism that i hope you guys catch! happy reading :~)

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Furnald Hall, the hall my dorm is in, has a reputation for being quiet. Even though it means less socializing, I generally don't mind too much. Today, with what feels like a million and one eyes on me, the silence is deafening.

The walk down the hallway from the bathroom to my dorm feels longer than usual. I'm so spaced out (everything said last night swimming through my head) that I barely notice my surroundings or the tube of toothpaste resting precariously on my shower caddy.

Before I can even notice its wobbly state, it falls off. And of course, the sudden motion startles me from my stupor and makes me to accidentally drop everything I'm holding as I clumsily trying to pick it up. Idiot.

Plenty of people are in the hallway but nobody, not one person, helps me. Before there was the occasional sound of footsteps, at least, but now a sudden silence falls upon every single person. Everyone just stands there, watching me as I struggle to grab my things, not saying a word.

As soon as I get up I move more quickly and keep my head down, holding my shower caddy in one hand and covering my wet body with a towel with the other, trying to ignore the soft whispers as I pass by.

"In the bathroom? Her and Luke? Luke Hemmings? The Luke Hemmings?"

"Shhh...Yeah. Him."

"How could she even know him? I've been trying to get into his parties since I got here."

My pulse quickens and I start to feel dizzy. Of course. They're out of earshot and barely intelligible, but I can understand just enough to know they're talking about me. It was only a matter of time.

My mind flashes back to the night Luke came here. The redheaded girl with painted toenails and green flip flops who took a little too long washing her hands before Luke coldly dismissed her. The gossip didn't spread as fast as I thought it might. But then again, with something as unbelievable as me, the lowlife freshman, and "Luke Hemmings: Rich and Famous Badboy" together "in the bathroom at 2AM," I'm not too surprised. Not one person would believe her at first.

Each look I get is pretty much identical – disbelief, jealousy and disgust, all mixed into one.

I can feel my hands start to shake and I feel sick, picking up the pace and trying not to look at anyone. One girl scoffs when my flip flop comes loose and I nearly trip, feeling anxious tears well up as it feels like the walls of the hallway are caving in, pushing against me until I can't breathe.

It doesn't get better once I get to my room. All I'm focusing on is getting inside as quickly as possible, but I can't stop myself from nervously fumbling with the keys and dropping them.

"Awww, poor thing," one girl whispers to her friend, mockingly. I try my best to ignore it and open my door which (thankfully) makes them turn away and go back to their business once the 8 A.M. floor show is over.

When I step into our room, the first thing I see is Emily lying face down in her bed, asleep.

Her long blond hair is slightly matted and from what I can see, she's still wearing what I saw her in last night.

"Emily..." I say, setting down my toiletries and quickly slipping on a bra and thick tights to go on underneath my overalls.

"Mmmf," she groans, not moving a muscle.