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❝ THE BATTLE AT HAWKINS LAB.❞
SIMON PEERED IN through the door to Dustin's bedroom, seeing Marie at the bed as she carefully folded her clothes and placed them neatly in her backpack. The morning sun shon through the window, casting a white band of light on her black hair.
"Hey," Simon said tentatively, his head peaking through the door.
Marie looked up. "Oh, hi," she breathed.
"What are you doing?" he asked, pushing the door wide open to step inside.
"Packing my things," she said quietly. She glanced at a nearby duffel bag on the floor. "That's yours, by the way."
Simon raised his brows, walking over toward the duffel bag. He placed it on the bed and zipped it open. Inside the bag was a jumbled pile of clothes, all untidy and rumpled as though they had been haphazardly shoved inside.
"I was messy," he remarked astoundingly, his face contorted into a small grimace.
"Yeah, you were. Mabel hated that," she said, a breathless chuckle leaving her throat. She met Simon's blank gaze and she cleared her throat. "Oh, Mabel is—"
"My cousin," finished Simon, nodding slightly. "Yeah, Dustin told me."
Marie's lips parted slightly. "Oh," she breathed. She ducked her head, feigning interest in her backpack as she placed the last few clothes into it. "I don't know if Dustin also told you, but you and I—"
"Used to date? Yeah, he did," Simon replied simply. There was a strange blandness to his tone, a reserved detachment that made Marie's chest tighten. Simon continued, "Hey, I wanted to ask you about Jul—"
"That's it?" Marie interrupted, snapping her head up abruptly. "That's all you're going to say?"
Simon blinked. "What else am I supposed to say?" he asked, dumbfounded.
In truth, Marie didn't know. She knew she couldn't blame Simon; it wasn't his fault. None of it was. And she was usually patient with everyone, never one to force her anger onto others. But the universe had screwed her over too many times, and she was beginning to wonder if there was any point in being kind when being kind left her with absolutely nothing in the end.
