POISON , Euphoria

𝘵𝘸𝘰

Rue rose to her feet slowly. Her eyes briefly glazed over their small class, but returned to her destination: the stage.

She arrived at the center and to her dismay, the lights had went off causing everyone's full and utmost attention on her. Dominique's gut churned at the mere thought of her being up there.

"Um, a memory?" Rue stuttered out while blocking out the harsh stage light that shined in her eyes.

"Anything that had an impact on you this summer."Mrs Applegate replied and Dom's eyes rested on one of her oldest friends.

"Uh, I don't— I don't— I can't think of—" Rue stammered out nervously. Dom hugged her knees close to her while she watched Rue desperately wishing she could help her.

Rue and Dominique went farther back than Pre-K, they met on the playground. They were hardly even potty trained by the time they met at two years old.

Some where along the long line of their friendship, before highschool, all three drifted apart. Dom still found herself yearning for the missing piece in their trio. That part of her would never go away, but Rue didn't want them to be up her ass unless it was beneficial toward her.

Dominique resents the distance wedged in between her and Rue. Maybe if she would've been there, been closer to the troubled girl, Rue would've been clean. It was stupid for her to look back on everything like that, but she still felt immense guilt.

"Just relax your body. Release the tension. And just breathe," Mrs Applegate lectured while Rue took a deep breath. Dom looked to Lexi nervously causing Lexi replied to her look with a shrug.

"So this— this summer?" Rue questioned the teacher.

"Yes." Mrs Applegate responded dryly.

Rue's face contorted as if she'd been remembering the more— painful parts of her summer.

"I'm— I'm having trouble, uh, like, remembering... uh something, you know." Rue trembled from her nerves. If it had been evident to Dom, it was to the rest of the room.

"Just tell us a specific memory.", Mrs Applegate specified for Rue. Dom chewed on her bottom lip out of fear for Rue.

"Uh, okay. Uh, I was, um, with my mom, and my, uh, my little sister.", Rue began in a stammer. "And, we were listening to this, uh, listening to this— this song."

"I feel bad.", Lexi whispered lowly to Dominique. Dom nodded, but returned her eyes to Rue. She really felt for her. God, just thinking about being up there made Dom's stomach do flips.

"I'm sorry, but I— I can't think of anything, so—", Rue wept with tearful eyes. Dominique's eyebrows crunched together in sadness. She'd obviously been pained by everything that happened this summer.

"Uh—", Mrs Applegate began to console Rue, but Rue was quick to cut whatever she was about to say off.

"I'm, uh— I'm done.", Rue stuttered out. "Do I have to do this?"

"She's a mess, dude," Someone from Dominique and Lexi commented causing them both to swivel around, ready to defend her.

"Honestly, I bet it's brain damage," Another person commented making Dominique look to Lexi.