𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, ph.

⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀𝐱𝐢𝐢. what would you say?

⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀𝐱𝐢𝐢. —— what would you say?

─ i ─

Rome's mental health was spiraling again and he knew it. But it was one thing to know and another thing to do something about it; he usually just waited the bad times out, trying not to think about it too much. He was good at helping others, not so much at helping himself. It wasn't about anything in particular, too, not really─there was just a lot going on lately, he was stressed and tired. He just moved out of his house and was left alone for the first time in a while. Rome wasn't good at being alone, funnily enough seeing as he spent most of his childhood that way.

"You know, you will have to talk to me eventually," Emma's voice sounded above his head and Rome sighed. He stubbornly kept his gaze on the lunch tray. "Rome, this can't go on like this. Will you at least tell me why you're so mad at me? Is it because of P'Pick─"

"Oh, you can choose, Emma," he answered because she was pushing him now. "It could be that you told P'Pick where I live after you promised you won't tell anyone. It could also be the fact that you told P'Porsche my whole life story, even though everything I said to you was said in trust," Rome added, watching the way her face fell.

"How do you─"

"It doesn't matter how I know!" Rome raised his voice, standing up to face her. He noticed that the attention of other students was now on them, so he forced himself to calm down before saying anything else. "I understand that he's important to you, but if you have to, then tell him your secrets, not mine. Do you think it's fun for me to dump my problems on others?"

"What, like you dumped them on me?" Emma said and Rome took a step back as if she slapped him. She quickly realized her mistake because she caught his wrist before the boy could run away. "No, I don't─I'm sorry, it was a shitty thing to say. I just─I didn't know what to do. You've been so sad lately and then you got beaten up by your brother, I didn't know how to help you, so I thought─"

"You thought telling your boyfriend will help? You know I'm happy for you, I'm happy it's working out with P'Porsche and that you're able to talk about things, but—I can't do this. I need to be alone for a while so just... Just stay away from me," he muttered, snatching his wrist free and turning away before she could say anything else. Rome was an easily manipulated person and he was aware of that; Emma would talk him into forgiving her and it's not like he didn't want to, it's just that it was too early and he needed time to think. He was a mess and if Emma really felt like he was dumping his problems on her then he couldn't stay with her. He always promised himself he wouldn't be that person, he wouldn't make others be with him out of pity.

Maybe it was better to stay away from everyone for now. It's not like he had anyone he could go to right now.

— ii —

"Rome, do you have a moment?"

Well, so much for being left alone. Rome raised his head from his camera to see Din standing next to him with a sheepish smile on his face. His hands were fiddling with a Polaroid that looked really old.

"Of course, sit down," he offered, forcing his face to morph into something that would at least resemble a smile. "I was going to find you anyway, I wanted to finally give your camera back."

"Oh, did you buy a new one?" Din asked, sitting opposite to Rome.

"No, not yet. But I have my old one and I was using it for a while during the trip after mine broke, it kind of messes up the colors but—" Rome rummaged through his bag to take out a photo album. He opened it on the pictures of Pick he took with his broken camera and turned the album towards Din. "Look. They have their charm, I don't know. I like the way the pictures turned out, besides I'm not sure if I'll take any more."