•Sweet Like Lead Acetate•

•Chapter 7: Shattered•

It was if the world had shattered.

As if the fun game they all played had turned sinister. Because it did.

A girl had died that day. And there was nothing the group could do.

Weimin, Lexi, and Keegan were sat in the back room on bean bags.

Lexi had her head buried in Weimin's chest as they laid down together.

"I'm sorry I keep bothering you, Weimin. I have a tendency to be clingy. People usually find that annoying about me...that and the fact that I can't normally make real friends," she says, but not letting go.

Weimin sighs, laying a hand in the girl's hair.

"It's okay. I promise I don't find you annoying," he said.

Lexi smiled.

In all honesty, the boy didn't know how to feel.

He's never got this much attention from anybody ever. His grandparents, whom he grew up with as his parents were deployed in China. Never gave him much attention. And after they died, that remained. He had a loving childhood with a few friends, but he never really had that special someone. And he had always felt something was missing.

And Lexi- he felt as if she was giving him that needed attention. For that, he didn't know how to feel.

Especially under these circumstances.

So, he just enjoyed it while he could, reassuring Lexi she wasn't bothering him and letting her hug him when she wanted.

Across from them was Keegan, his head in his hands.

He felt awful.

After all these years of rebellion, he's never caused this much damage. His actions...has killed someone. He doesn't know what to do.

In the other room was Bridget, Harrison, and Henry.

Currently, Henry was trying to convince Harrison to get up, Bridget standing close behind him.

"Harrison. Come on, man," he whispered, placing a hand on his back gently.

Harrison was in the same position he was 10 minutes ago. Still with a mess on his hoodie, a yellow heart in front of him.

He hasn't said a word. Until now.

"I promised her...I swore that I'd vouch for her. For her sister." Harrison says, his voice dry.

"I-I know. Just, Harrison, we can't bring her back. You need to get up. We need to all talk." Henry says, gesturing to the drying blood on the boy's hands.

Harrison shook his head, his lip caught between his teeth.

He touched his finger together, the dried blood making his hands feel weird.

"Okay. Okay, I just. Need to get this off. PLEASE GET THIS OFF!" He begins to yell, hyperventilating and standing up on wobbly knees.

He shoved his hands at Henry, falling into the boy, his head on his friend's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, Harrison," Henry says, hugging his friend tight.

When they pull away, Harrison has his eyes squeezed shut and holds his hands out to Henry as a gesture to help clean them.

Henry rolled the sleeves of his suit jacket over his hands and began to wipe off the cracking blood from his friend's hands.

Once it was mainly gone, he grabbed his hand and looked into his eyes, genuinely.