I turned toward Ryan, Tina, Sabre, UnicornMann, and Cookie. They were all staring at me in identical expressions of shock. I gulped. Did I do something wrong? Before I could ask, I realized the room was swimming in front of me. I opened my mouth, but I collapsed on the ground, dazed, exhausted, and in pain. I gave up and let myself fall asleep. I heard yelling and people trying to talk to me in my strange phase of blackness. But it all eventually disappeared, and I willingly let myself lose track of time.
I opened my eyes with a start. I gasped. Tina, and Sabre were standing over me, concern in their eyes. "W-what? How'd I get here? Wasn't I just... Casper! Where is he? Is he gone?" I asked nervously. Tina gave me a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, he left a while ago. You've been out for about 2 hours," she told me. "2 HOURS?" I yelled. "Yeah..." Sabre affirmed. "Where's Ryan?" I asked. "Is he okay?" Tina and Sabre shared a look. "Yeah, he's fine. He was really nervous for you, so we brought him out of the room. I'm pretty sure Ryan's badly hurt from the fight with Casper, but he won't admit it," Tina informed me. Suddenly, a realization came over me. I put Ryan in danger. If Ryan weren't close to me, Casper wouldn't have taken him. He wouldn't have hurt Ryan.
I knew that to protect Ryan, I would break his heart. I would have to break up with him. A selfish part of me rejected that, saying: What would the point of breaking his heart be? You love each other. Nothing should stand in the way of that. But that was probably how Tina used to see hurting me as. Nothing should stand in the way of Ryan and my love. That was
bad. I couldn't put Ryan in danger, so I knew what I had to do.
"Goldy! You're okay!" Ryan exclaimed as I walked out. I gulped. "Yeah, can I talk to you for a second in the Gallery?" I asked sadly. Ryan looked confused. "Okay." He agreed. I stepped through the door, and I walked over to an empty wall. Ryan walked up in front of me. I couldn't help looking over his shoulder of a picture of the two of us hugging. I closed my eyes. "Listen... this... us, it can't happen." I told him. "What do you mean? I'll be yours forever, and you know that," Ryan asked confused. A tear traced down my cheek. "How can you say you'll be mine? Everything's keeps us apart! Casper, Tina, you and me, we can't work like this. I'm... I'm not the one for you." I said quietly. "Goldy... It's up to you and me. No one can say what we get to be," Ryan exclaimed. "I won't change my mind." I told him. Ryan looked at me, and I looked away. "Won't, or can't?" He asked me quietly. Ryan saw right through me. My heart sank. "Both. Neither," I tried to explain. I shook my head, and ran off from the Gallery.
I started to cry as I ran out the door. "And... and that!" I bit my lip. "Was another day... at..." I couldn't finish. I wiped away a tear, and sprinted as fast as I could toward my house.
There's a song that I think fits this chapter a lot, here it is!