𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐈𝐀 - TMR, Gally ¹

𝟢𝟤𝟨，𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠

She stretches as she sits up. Immediately, a towel with ice in it gets pressed in her hands. "Thanks, Jeff." She holds it against her head. "And yeah, I didn't plan on that either. How'd I get here?"

"You were lucky Alby was gettin' us fertilizer!"

"Yeah," the leader confirms. "Saw movements in the water, then you, I think all the way in the deepest part of the lake, last air bubbles leaving your mouth. Dived in there and got you here."

She looks down at his dripping clothes, and the pool of water besides his chair. What would've happened if he hadn't done that? "Thank you, Alby."

Clint raises an eyebrow. "What the hell happened? Most people who go swimming can swim."

"I hallucinate, remember? There were these weird creatures, pulling me underwater."

"Didn't you say you share them with Gally?" Newt furrows his eyebrows. "Didn't he notice, then? Was it his hallucination?"

She shrugs. "I don't know. If it was, he's likely busy taking care of himself."

"He's building as always," Jeff announces, his nose scrunching along with his eyebrows. "No signs of hallucinating."

Oh, well. She shrugs it off. Might just be better that only one person goes through it, and not both. "I feel alright. Can I go?"

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure." She laughs. "Thanks for treating me, Med-Jacks. I've forgiven you two by now."

Joan follows Newt and Alby outside, telling them bye before she moves to her own little place, avoiding eye contact with Gally, though she can feel his eyes burn in her back.

You alright? He wonders.

Yeah. Just a hallucination. Did you have one?

Sometimes wish I hallucinate these ugly faces in front of me, but no.

Good. She sits down on her trunk. About yesterday—

It was just to calm me down, he says, as if he can read her mind.

Well, he kind of can—

Yes, she nods at herself. Just to calm you down. I wasn't really thinking either. You forgive me?

I mean, I do have the flex that I'm the first boy you've kissed here, so no apologies needed.

Who said you're the first boy I've kissed here? A grin forms on her face at that.

What?

But she no longer replies. It takes a while for him to give up on asking. Once he has, she can't take the grin off for somewhat the rest of the day.

❀

At dinner, she waits for Camil to finish his usual round of greeting people. He's like the popular friend that needs ten minutes every break to greet his million friends.

When he returns, he insists to join the Jeff, Gally and Zart. Sighing, Joan follows him.

"Hi." She gives Gally a nod as she sits down next to him, the other three boys across from them.