Shadows of the Rooftop

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I stormed up to the rooftop, my emotions a tangled mess of anger, frustration, and betrayal. The evening air hit my face with a cold slap, but it couldn't touch the fire that was burning deep inside me. I was so done with everything, and yet, I couldn't seem to let go. My hands gripped the railing tightly, as if holding on would keep me grounded. But the tears came anyway. Hot. Relentless. I didn't want to cry—not over Patrick, not over Olivia, not over Adri, or all the unresolved mess that was spiraling out of control. But I couldn't stop it. The weight of everything pressing on me was suffocating, and it felt like my whole life was caving in, one crushing moment after another.

The door creaked behind me, and I stiffened. I wiped my face quickly, trying to regain some composure, but I wasn't fooling anyone—not even myself. When I turned around, the last person I expected to see was Olivia, standing there, her expression cautious but determined.

"Katherine," she said softly, her voice tentative like she was walking on eggshells. "I know you're upset, but can we talk?"

I let out a bitter laugh, a sharp, bitter sound that was so unlike me. "Talk? What's there to talk about, Olivia? You've already taken everything. So why don't you just leave me alone?"

Her face faltered for a second, but she stayed calm, which only made me angrier. The nerve of her to stand there like she was some innocent bystander in all this.

"I'm not trying to take anything from you," she said, her voice steady but somehow irritating. "I didn't mean for things to get like this. I just—"

"Just what?" I cut her off, my voice rising with each word. "Just get closer to Patrick? Just slide into every part of my life like you belong there?" My voice cracked, and I hated how weak and vulnerable I sounded. But I couldn't stop the flood of emotions pouring out. "You just had to show up and mess everything up, didn't you?"

"Kat, you've got it wrong," she said, taking a small step closer. "I never wanted to come between you two. I care about Patrick, yes, but he cares about you. I thought maybe we could—"

"Stop it!" I shouted, stepping back from the railing. My hands were shaking, my chest was tight, but the anger kept boiling up inside me. "Stop acting like you're so innocent! You're always there! Always in the way!" I almost couldn't breathe from how tight my chest felt. "Don't you see? You're suffocating me!"

Her face softened, like she didn't even register how much she was pushing me to the edge. That calm, understanding expression only made me angrier. "Katherine, I'm not your enemy—"

"Just go, Olivia!" I snapped. "Just leave me alone!" I could feel the tears threatening to spill again, but I wasn't about to let her see me fall apart. Not like this. Not because of her.

Without another word, I turned and bolted toward the door, slamming it behind me as I left the rooftop. I didn't care if she called after me. I just had to get away. Away from her. Away from everything. I didn't even know where I was going; I just needed to be alone. To think. To process. But the tears were already there, hot and burning as they slipped down my face.

---

Ten minutes later, I was sitting on a bench outside, staring at the ground, trying to keep my mind from spiraling further. The fight with Olivia kept replaying over and over in my head, and the guilt clawed at my insides. Had I gone too far? I hated that I'd lost control, but she pushed all the wrong buttons. And I couldn't just pretend like everything was fine anymore. Everything felt wrong.

I heard the distant sound of shouting, and I looked up, confused. People were rushing toward the side of the building, and something about the commotion made my stomach tighten with unease. What was going on?

I stood up and followed the crowd, my legs unsteady beneath me. My chest tightened with every step I took, but I couldn't stop moving. When I rounded the corner, my heart dropped into my stomach. There she was.

Olivia.

She was lying motionless on the ground, her body surrounded by a crowd of people. Someone was already on the phone, calling for an ambulance. My breath caught in my throat, and the world around me started to tilt. My knees felt weak, and I could barely breathe.

No. This couldn't be happening.

I stepped closer, but froze when I saw him. Patrick. He was standing at the edge of the crowd, his face pale, his eyes scanning the scene. His gaze found me, and my stomach turned. I couldn't read the look on his face. It was a mix of disbelief, fear, and something I couldn't quite place. Doubt. It was the doubt that hit me the hardest.

"What did you do?" he asked, his voice tight with a kind of raw fear that made my blood run cold.

"I didn't do anything!" I blurted out, my voice shaky. "She was fine when I left. I didn't—" But the words felt empty, like they were just echoes of things I'd tried to convince myself. I shoved her. I left her there. I was angry. I didn't even check on her after. And now this was happening.

Adri appeared beside him, her face just as pale as Patrick's, her voice cautious. "Kat," she said, her tone careful, almost like she was walking on eggshells too. "What... What happened up there?"

"I didn't push her," I whispered, the words barely leaving my lips. But the moment they left my mouth, I knew they didn't matter. Not to them. Not to anyone. The looks on their faces told me everything I needed to know. They didn't believe me.

The sirens wailed in the distance, growing louder, and I felt like the weight of the world was crashing down on me. Olivia was hurt. And now, they all thought I was responsible.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. Nothing could explain what had happened. Nothing could take back the words I'd said, the actions I'd taken. I looked up, and Patrick's eyes locked onto mine again, and I saw it. The question he didn't dare ask aloud but was written all over his face.

Did you do this?

And for the first time in my life, I didn't know how to answer.

The seconds dragged by, each one feeling heavier than the last. I wanted to say something, to explain, to make it right, but I was stuck. Frozen. The only thing that came to mind was the truth that I couldn't take back—the guilt that gnawed at my insides like a constant reminder of my failures.

Patrick was looking at me like I was a stranger. Like he didn't know who I was anymore. And maybe he didn't. Maybe I didn't know who I was either. Was I the girl who let her anger get the best of her? The girl who pushed her friend away and couldn't fix things when it all fell apart? I didn't know. I didn't have the answers, and I was scared of what came next.

All I could do was stand there, silently, as the ambulance arrived and people continued to whisper around me. And deep down, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of something much bigger than I was prepared to face.

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