batshit - euphoria

03.

The thought of who could have sent her that box circled her mind for a full three weeks. It was so cryptic, the "Do you want to be 13 again?" message. The last thing Tabby wanted was to be 13 again. Despite loving her friends and how much simpler things were in middle school, there was nothing that could make her wanna go back to the suffocating binds of therapy.

Apparently in therapy camp or whatever you would call it, there's no internet, no going to the mall, no life outside of the ominous facility that sat in the middle of the woods, miles away from any civilization. All Tabby would do was hike, yoga, and talk about her life to random people. Every Friday night, Tabby would try to escape the facility, but would quickly be captured and dragged back by security.  She was so desperate to be a regular teenager, that she would walk 100 miles for normalcy.

Tabby held the box in question close to her chest, and stared out of her bedroom window. The Jacobs' were a few houses down, and she wanted to ask Nate about the box, but she wouldn't dare go to his house. She knew she'd never be fully welcomed there. Besides, Maddy could be there. Although Tabby and Maddy weren't the best of friends (at least not anymore), they were close enough that being in close quarters with Nate was something to be avoided at all costs. Even texting him would make Maddy suspicious, and that type of drama wasn't something she needed right now. She just needed answers. Telling Jules wasn't an option, because she'd freak out, and Rue would get manic.

Lexi.

•

"Hey, Mrs. Howard," Tabby started. "Is Lexi home?"

"Yeah, you know where to find her," Mrs. Howard replied, and Tabby quickly walked to Lexi's room and knocked.

"Come in," Lexi rang, and her eyes grew wide as she saw Tabby walk through the doorframe. "Tabby... hi!"

"Lexi, I need your help."

"What's wrong?"

Tabby sat next to Lexi on her bed, putting the pink box in her lap.

"Open it," Tabby commanded.

Lexi complied, sorting through the contents inside, just like Tabby had done three weeks ago.

"What's the problem, it's just– oh my god," Lexi whispered as she got to the picture of Tabby's parents.

"That's not the bad part," Tabby told her. "Look at the–look at the fucking lid."

As Lexi studied the message on the lid, her eyebrows furrowed before her returned her gaze to Tabby.

"What're you gonna do?"

"I don't know," Tabby sighed. "Any ideas?"

"No..."

"Well, fuck it. We wait."