idk im bad at titles

6

   Violet nearly took the bathroom door off of its hinges as she swung it open with more force than intended. She was about to cry, she could feel it, she could feel the stinging of tears threatening to escape. She wiped furiously at her eyes, not letting herself come to tears as she walked into the bathroom. Thankfully, there were no other girls currently there; usually, at least three or four girls were doing their makeup and fixing their hair in the mirrors or smoking, or all three. But there was no one, not even in the stalls. She sighed a sigh of relief as she bent over the top of the sink farthest to the left and looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were slightly bloodshot and there were heavy bags that were noticeable even in the dark. It didn't help that she was as pale as she was, either. As soon as she felt the sharp tang of tears trailing down her cheeks she turned the handles of the faucet on and ran her hands under the cold water, splashing it on her face. You just don't cry in school bathrooms. Even when no one else is around. She stood there looking at herself in the mirror until she heard the click of the door opening and jolted, slapping her hands on her pants and rubbing the remaining wetness off her face with the collar of her shirt. Her head swerved to the door as she saw the hat-wearing girl walk in. As she felt the girl return her gaze she snapped her head down to look at the sink. The girl with the hat stood there awkwardly for a moment before Violet barked at her, "What are you doing here?" Clementine looked down at her feet as she fiddled with her hands, looking almost hopeless.

"I-"

"Who convinced you to come here? Was it Louis?" Her eyebrows furrowed at the blonde as she crossed her arms.

"I volunteered, actually." She sighed. "Look, I know you don't really know me, but I just want to help. At least try. If you want me to fuck off, I'll do it." Violet looked at the girl, torn between telling her off or letting her try to talk to her. When she was silent, Clementine assumed she would give her a shot.

"I know this is personal for you. I'm not one to pry. I mean, I'm basically a stranger, when you think about it." Violet didn't look at her, her eyes glued to the sink with her hands clenched on the sides.

"I know what it's like to lose someone," she said, with sadness in her voice. Violet's face sunk and softened, lifting her head to look over at the girl. "Your friends care about you. Brody cares about you." Violet's face hardened again as she tore her face away from the girl once again and back to the sink below her. She clenched onto the sides of the sink until her knuckles turned white. Clementine walked over towards Violet and put a hand on her shoulder, the blonde jumping slightly at the contact.

"Pushing people away only makes it worse. Trust me." She smiled warmly at Violet, so warmly Violet felt her heart melting. They held eye contact for a brief moment before Violet felt the sting of tears once more, breaking the prolonged stare as she looked at the sink once more, wiping her eyes forcefully. She wasn't about to cry in front of this girl, she thought. She was taken by surprise when she felt arms wrapped around her neck in a warm embrace. She awkwardly hugged back, the tears tugging at her eyes with even more intensity. Before the tears could escape, the shorter girl broke the embrace, leaving Violet frowning and longing for contact once more. Her hug was warm and gentle; it made Violet feel like things just might be alright. She didn't know this girl too well, but already she felt comfortable around her, and it took someone like Violet a lot longer to warm up to people than normal. She wiped her eyes once more.

"Why..." she started, her voice a lump in her throat as she cleared it, hoping to sound less like a 13-year-old boy going through puberty as she spoke her next words. "Why did you come here?" Clementine just smiled at the girl and shrugged.

"To be honest, I'm not sure myself. I just saw how upset you were and wanted to help. In hindsight, it seems like a stupid idea." Violet allowed herself to crack a small, barely noticeable smile, but it was enough for Clementine. The blonde scratched the back of her neck awkwardly, looking down at her shuffling feet.