You didn't know how this night had spun so far out of control.
One minute you were arriving at the club with your friends, the next you had completely lost sight of them. It was crowded and sweaty bodies kept pushing up against you as you frantically looked around for your friends, but you couldn't find them anywhere.
You don't like crowded places and you should've known that this club would be, as it always as. It's one of the most crowded clubs around, nearly impossible to get into, but somehow you and your friends managed to do it.
You thought you'd be okay. Your friends were by your side and you knew you were safe with them. But you turned your back for only a moment to grab another drink and then they were gone.
You called out for your friends but there was no doubt that they wouldn't be able to hear you with how loud everything was. It felt like everyone was staring at you. Your heart was pounding in your chest and you felt like you couldn't breathe.
You were overwhelmed and needed some space. You quickly made your way to the bathroom and closed the door behind you. Surprisingly, it was empty. There didn't seem to be anyone in there that you could see or hear. You ran into a stall. The tears leaked from the corners of your eyes and you slid against the wall till you fell to your knees.
You were soon spiraling into a panic attack. You felt like you couldn't breathe. Your hands trembled and started to sweat. You felt sick and as your heart raced inside your chest, you crawled to the toilet, emptying the contents of your stomach rather loudly while tears streamed down your face.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the bathroom stall and a soft voice followed. "Hey. Are you okay in there?" You wiped your chin and spit into the toilet to rid your mouth of the terrible taste of vomit. You sniffled softly and dropped your head back against the wall.
You brought your knees to your chest, the panic attack was still lingering and making you feel like you couldn't breathe; like something was suffocating you.
"Hello?"
The girl said again. This time, you replied. "N-No." You whimpered and since the door wasn't locked, the girl came in. She looked worried. Even though she had no ideas who you were, she still seemed to care.
Your gasps for breath made her rush over to you. She gently placed her hand on your shoulder and you welcomed the soothing touch. "I'm sorry, I just, I can't b-breathe." She nodded and started to rub your shoulder. "No, no, hey. Don't be sorry. It's okay, I know everything seems scary right now but you're gonna be okay. Just try to breathe."
You lifted your head up and saw her brown eyes clouded with worry. "Just follow my lead." She whispered and started to breathe through her nose and you followed. You could feel the tight grip the panic attack once had on you loosen. You felt like you could breathe again.
You sat on that bathroom floor with this total stranger for what felt like hours but was only maybe ten minutes. You closed your eyes but opened them a moment later. You were exhausted.
"T-Thank you..." You stopped when you realized that you still didn't know who she was. But as you stared at her, really stared at her, you realized how beautiful she was. She might've been the most beautiful girl you've ever laid your eyes on.
"Madison." She smiled, sending butterflies fluttering through your chest.
"Well, Madison, thank you so much for being here with me through that. It gets so out of control sometimes. I needed someone here with me and I'm grateful that you were kind enough to be here with me."
"It's no problem-"
"Y/n."
"Y/n. Beautiful name."
You gave her a lazy smile and laid your head back a little.
"Are you okay?" She wondered.
"I don't know. Probably. I just don't know where my friends are. It was so crowded and I couldn't find them anywhere and I felt like everyone was staring at me... mocking me."
Madison squeezed your shoulder. "I'm sorry, y/n. I know how awful panic attacks can be. Do you wanna go try to find your friends?"
You shook your head. "No. Honestly, I just wanna get the hell out of this club."
Madison chuckled but nodded in agreement. "Me too. Hey, do you maybe wanna go to the little cafe down the road? It's open late. If you don't want to, I understand, but it's never crowded, especially at a time like this."
You were so thankful for the offer. You couldn't pass it up, especially when you wanted to get to know Madison more. "I'd like that." She stood up and extended her hand out for you. You stood on your shaky legs and until you felt comfortable enough to walk on your own, she kept her hand on your back to keep you safe.
Maybe this night wasn't so terrible after all.