And yet, the source is right there in front of you.

Just when you think you've escaped crushing silences, Alex has brought one here ready to overwhelm you. You haven't spoken at all to her since that happened, and you've not felt the desire to do so. But now, seemingly, you must. You must confront her.

You resist the urge to simply curl up in a ball and lose all sense of reality, though you're not sure how you do.

"Hey, Rosie! Haven't seen or heard from you all day. Thought it was kinda weird... So I thought I should help a friend out, right?"

She doesn't mean it. You know she doesn't. She asked you if it was something she said. So you know she knows she did something. The fact that she's pretending that things could be okay... it feels so fake. It feels like her trying to help you before was just a lie. As you should have known it was all along.

You feel you need to say something... but what is there to say? "You offered a human being for me to use as a sex toy and I don't think that's a good thing"? You'd have thought that was obvious. You'd think Alex would know that. She's just playing dumb with you. Trying to get back into your good graces. You don't see why. There's no way anyone would try to appeal to you unless they were setting you up.

This storm in your mind - raging like the storm was outside on that fateful afternoon - churns up so much, but you only manage to express it in one way.

"I'm sorry... I can't...!"

And with that, your legs send you rushing off as fast as they can carry you. Which isn't very fast, but it doesn't matter. You need to get out. In any direction. You need to never see her ever again. She'll just hurt you. Like you deserve.

Before you know it, you've found yourself in front of your dorm room's door. Or, at least you think you have. Your eyes are so blurry with tears that it could be anyone's, or indeed anywhere else in this place. You stumble in, with the last bit of stamina you have left, and you bury yourself in your pillow.

It's a few hours later when you finally come to your senses. You're far too emotional for your own good. This is what they want, just to get a rise out of you. Just to make you their toy. That's what you've learned.You stumble over to the nearest sink to take a quick swig of water - turns out a mental breakdown seriously dehydrates you, who knew? - before splashing the remainder over your face. You must look a mess.

On returning to the vicinity of your bed, and the empty one nearby that reminds you that even in a double dorm you're alone... you see a piece of paper slipped under the door. Probably some flyer or something, you think, as you prepare to throw it in the garbage... until you realise it's a hand-written note.

Dear Rosie,

I've been so worried about you all day, and when you ran away on me earlier, I couldn't stop thinking about you.

I'd love you to meet me in the abandoned classroom (you know the one) tomorrow at 9 so you can tell me what's wrong. I promise I won't be mad or disappointed with you. I just need to know what it is that happened.

I understand if you don't want to meet me still, but I feel it'd be best.

Yours,

-Alex