Climb | ✔

Chapter 18 | Confession

School came back in full force after the holiday break. Winter's classes mostly picked up from where they left off, though she would no longer have Business Law or Studio Art. Instead, she had Communications Technology and Statistics to fill the voids in her schedule.

While she lamented no longer having Mrs. Paladino as a teacher, Winter liked the prospects that came with her tech course. She once again shared it with Daisy, and Mr. Rogers was a lackadaisical teacher who left everyone to their own so long as they turned in at least some work.

This meant that Winter and Daisy could spend most of their time drawing or animating, and more recently prepping their work for the theatre production. All in all, the new semester was going perfectly fine.

It was in late January that Joe informed the group via group text that he and Amy had broken up. While the group showed a healthy amount of concern for him, it really came as no surprise. They were a thin line bound to snap from the weight of Daisy's heartbreak and vulnerability.

In fact, his intentions were so obvious that even Daisy was getting suspicious. Despite her less-than-ideal experience with Fletcher, she'd come to learn a lot about love and about herself. Maybe she'd somehow gotten some much-needed confidence from the bad experience because she could now admit that Joe was blatantly flirting with her, where before she would have been entirely oblivious to it.

Regardless, it was safe to say that by the time Valentine's Day rolled around, nobody in the group was feeling keen on it. Yet the group still thought it a good idea to accept Evie's invitation to her humble Valentine's get-together in an effort to show that the Winter-Formal-after-party-debacle was water under the bridge.

Despite Winter's skepticism, the party really was humble. A total of maybe 20 people were chatting and mingling amongst themselves while soft pop played quietly in the background. Cheap but endearing dollar store decorations were hung and tacked around the living room. Bowls of obligatory chocolates and candy-hearts were stationed atop the various side tables. Most of the attendees opted to wear red, pink, and white in spirit of the holiday. 

Winter found herself at odds with the calm atmosphere, though. She'd been on edge even before the party started. She rolled her stiff shoulders and pulled her black sweater up her shoulder when it drooped off. Sighing, she recalled earlier events which most certainly removed her from any romantic mood she might otherwise find herself in given the setting.

As it so happens, Rose received an interesting call just as Winter was leaving for the party. It was obvious to Winter that it was her mother calling by the way her aunt stiffened and glanced at her with alarm before retreating to her room to take the call. Despite desperately wanting to hang back and listen in, Luke was waiting in the parking lot, so Winter left the apartment and her chance to get information about her mom with it.

The curiosity still hung over her, though. It hung over her as Evie cordially invited them in and served them drinks. It hung over her as she talked happily with Daisy and Gina about the latest shows they were binging. It hung over her drink after drink until she felt dull and senseless. She was nearing full-blown drunkenness only an hour into the party and felt very suddenly that she needed to put her breaks down.

She was so jarred by how quickly she came to her senses that she nearly tripped and fell on her way up the stairs to Evie's bathroom. Even after a ten-minute breather in the solitude of the en-suite, the buzz of alcohol was still pulsing through her dangerously. When she looked in the mirror, she found her cheeks were terribly flush against her pale skin, which on this day was weaning more towards sallow and ashy. Her eyes were grey and dull, and she was realizing that her sleepless nights were catching up with her.