(TW: A small mention of self harm.)
Betty exhaled slowly as she looked at her phone. She eyed the contact the was about to click on, almost backing out but deciding on clicking that little "call" button in the middle of her screen. She picked up the phone and put it against her ear, closing her eyes tightly as she felt the nerves taking over her body. Although it was only 3 and a half rings before Veronica picked up, it felt like forever to Betty. Her nerves calmed slightly when she heard Veronica's soothing voice on the other line.
"Hello?"
"Hey, V. Are you busy?" Betty couldn't help the shaky breath that she let out after asking the question. Veronica picked up on her nerves and immediately got concerned.
"Nope. Just finished up my essay for school, actually. Everything okay? You sound upset" She pointed out. She heard her clear her throat on the other line and then speak again.
"Um...well actually I was hoping you could come over. I just...." Betty whimpered and Veronica immediately knew something was up.
"Okay. I'll be over in 10. Is something going on...?" Veronica trailed off and Betty could hear that her tone was laced with concern. And now she felt the guilt overtake her body. She was worrying Veronica with her shitty problems.
Betty chose to ignore Veronica's concern. "I'll see you in a few, Veronica. I love you."
"Okay. I love you too," was the last thing Betty heard before hanging up the phone and setting it back down on her table.
She took the sleeve of her sweater and wiped away the tears that had pooled into her eyes and fallen down her cheeks. She tried to stop herself from crying, but her chest was heaving and she felt like she couldn't breathe. It felt like all of the air had been sucked out of the room, and now she was suffocating. Drowning, but without the water. She was so numb that she could barely register anything but the pain in her chest slowly amplifying, and she slowly moved herself to a position of laying on the floor, with her knees curled up to her chest. She couldn't do anything but cry.
Just breathe, Betty.
She barely remembered Veronica was coming over. She couldn't see, she couldn't think, and she couldn't speak. All she felt at that point was the intense, blinding pain in her chest, and the feeling of her fingernails breaking the skin on her palms. She thought that she heard the noise of the front door opening, her name being called out. But she could barely register anything.
"Betty!" She suddenly heard, loud and clear. Veronica was in the room with her. She felt her pull her up, and she looked into her eyes.
"Hey Betty, can you do something for me? It's not hard, babe. I just need you to breathe, okay? Focus on breathing and only breathing. Can you do that for me?" Betty felt herself nod, and she tried hard to set her mind on breathing and only breathing, like Veronica said.
She closed her eyes and thought about it, and after around 15 minutes she was calmed down. She laid her head on Veronicas shoulder.
"V...I'm so sorry that you had to see me like that. I don't know what that was. I don't even know what came over me. I just..." Betty sighed, defeated, and crawled into Veronica's lap, resting her head on her chest.
"Please don't be sorry, Betty. None of that was your fault. Panic attacks are normal, you know? They happen to a lot of people...and I just want you to know that I don't think you're weird or anything. I really just want to help you through all of this...because you clearly aren't okay." Veronica started rubbing Bettys back soothingly.
"Panic attack? No. I just want to be normal, I-" Bettys voice broke and she felt herself starting to cry again.
"Betty...you are normal. There's nothing wrong with having anxiety, or depression, or not being okay. Those are things that you can't control. Besides...you're the strongest person that I know. You can get through this," Veronica said as she put her finger under Betty's chin, tilting her head up to meet her own.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive, Betty. Positive."
Veronica leaned forward and captured her lips onto Betty's, kissing her softly for a few moments before pulling away.
"You are strong. You are beautiful. You are brave. You are amazing. You can do this, Betty. I believe in you."
