The Space Between Us

3 | Breaking Point

The silence of the high school halls presses in like a living thing, thick and suffocating. Days have blurred into a grueling, monotonous stretch of survival, each moment steeped in the kind of dread that wears down even the strongest souls. Utah clings to routine, trying to create pockets of normalcy amid the horror. She sweeps the classrooms, counts what little food they have left, tidies the piles of scavenged supplies. It doesn't keep the world outside at bay, but it helps her feel like she has control over something, anything.

She's just finished reorganizing the shelves in the faculty lounge when she hears the unmistakable footsteps of Rudy in the hallway. Her heart skips, and she braces herself, telling herself to play it cool, to act unbothered. Maybe today, she thinks, maybe today will be different.

Rudy steps into the room, her face expressionless, her eyes glazed with exhaustion. She has been like this for days, closed-off and irritable, each encounter a minefield that Utah navigates with growing difficulty. Still, she smiles as best she can, her face lighting up even as a nervous tension fills her chest.

"Hey," she greets softly, "I found a couple of cans we missed earlier. Thought I could make something for us."

Rudy barely glances at her, instead heading straight for the small stash of supplies, rifling through them with quick, mechanical movements. "I'm not hungry," she mumbles, her voice flat.

Utah's smile falters. She fights the urge to press further, knowing from experience that it only makes things worse. But the question slips out before she can stop herself. "Are you... are you okay?"

Rudy's hands still for a moment, her fingers gripping the edge of the shelf. She sighs heavily, closing her eyes, and Utah can feel the distance widening between them, like a wound that won't heal.

"You ask that every day," she says, her tone edged with annoyance. "Can't you just... let it go? Not everything needs to be about how I'm feeling."

The words sting, but Utah tries to brush them off, telling herself that Rudy is just tired, that she doesn't mean it. She steps back, folding her arms tightly around herself as if it might protect her from the hurt.

"I just... I just worry," she says, her voice barely above a whisper. "I can't help it."

Rudy's jaw clenches, her eyes narrowing as she turns to face her. "Worrying about me isn't helping, you know? If anything, it's making things worse."

The accusation cuts deep, and Utah feels her throat tighten, her chest aching with the weight of her own helplessness. She opens her mouth, searching for something, anything, that might break through the wall between them. But she can feel the desperation building, and she knows that Rudy can see it too.

"I just want to be there for you," she says, her voice trembling. "I don't know what else to do."

Rudy shakes her head, her gaze hardening as she takes a step back. "You don't get it, do you?" she snaps. "I didn't ask for this. I didn't ask for you to... to cling to me all the time."

The words hit her like a slap, and Utah feels her stomach twist, the familiar pain of rejection flaring up once more. She can feel the tears prickling at the corners of her eyes, but she refuses to let them fall. She has to be strong, has to hold on, even if it feels like she's drowning in her own need for reassurance.

"I'm sorry," she whispers, her voice breaking. "I... I didn't mean to make you feel that way."

Rudy sighs, running a hand through her hair, her frustration evident. "I don't want to be mean," she mutters, more to herself than to Utah. "But it's like... I can't breathe with you around. I just need some space."