Christine had just sunk into the comfort of her bed, relieved to finally have some time to herself after the chaos of exams.

For the first time in weeks, she felt like she was back in control of her life. The past few months had been tumultuous-between Robert's decision to drop out of college, Jenny and Evelyn moving out, and her emotional distance from Lara, Christine had been through a lot. But now, with her roommates gone and her schedule less chaotic, she had time to think, to breathe.

The silence was soothing, and she was starting to think about grabbing a book to unwind when a loud knock interrupted her thoughts.

Sighing, she got up, assuming it was Jenny or Evelyn. But when she opened the door, her stomach flipped. It was Lara.

Standing there with a duffel bag in one hand and a strained smile, Lara looked awkward, almost nervous. Christine hadn't expected to see her here-not at her dorm room, and certainly not after everything that had happened.

"Hey, Kay," Lara said, her voice soft.

Christine blinked, trying to gather her thoughts. "Lara... what are you doing here?"

"I'm here for school. Pharmacy," Lara explained, stepping inside without being asked.

"Pharmacy?" Christine repeated, not following.

"Yeah, I missed the cutoff for the MCAT. By 10 marks."

Christine's heart sank. "Lara, I-"

"But that's not the point!" Lara suddenly interrupted, her voice louder now, frustration spilling out. "I'm here now. I'm at Michigan. With you."

Christine closed the door behind her, but stayed by the entrance, her back to it, hands crossed over her chest. "You came all the way here just because of me?"

Lara turned to her, eyebrows furrowing. "What do you mean by 'just because of you'? I thought we were friends, Kay! Good friends! I missed the medical program, and yeah, I was devastated. But I couldn't just... wait around for another year. And I didn't want to lose you."

Christine's jaw clenched. The anger she'd buried for weeks began to resurface. "You didn't want to lose me? Lara, after everything that happened-after you lied to me about having cancer-I don't know what you expect me to say."

Lara's face hardened. "That? You're still holding on to that? Kay, it wasn't even a big deal! I was going through something, and maybe I overreacted, but I didn't hurt anyone."

Christine's eyes widened in disbelief. "Not a big deal? Lara, you lied about having a life-threatening illness. You made me think-made everyone think-you were dying. How is that not a big deal?"

"I didn't hurt anyone!" Lara shot back, her voice defensive. "It was just a stupid prank. You overreacted! You always overreact when it comes to me."

Christine's hands dropped to her sides, fists clenched. "How can you stand there and say that to my face? I ran back to you when I thought you had cancer, Lara. I dropped everything, and you don't even care how much it affected me."

Lara crossed her arms, glaring. "Oh, come on, Christine. Don't act like you're so perfect. You've lied to me too. You always act like you're above it all, but you've been distant for ages."

"Because of you!" Christine snapped, her voice rising. "Because I don't know how to deal with you anymore, Lara. You're always pushing, always making everything about you."

"Because I care about you!" Lara shouted back, her face red with frustration. "I'm the one who's always there for you, and you just... what? You're mad because I pulled a stupid prank? How is that enough to throw away years of friendship?"

Christine took a step back, her voice quieter now but no less angry. "It's not just the prank, and you know it. You've been controlling, manipulative, and everything has to be about you. I can't handle it anymore."

Lara's expression softened just a little, but the hurt in her eyes was unmistakable. "I... I didn't mean to be like that. I just-"

Christine cut her off, her voice firm. "It's exhausting, Lara. I've been trying to keep up, trying to be the friend you want me to be, but it's too much."

For a moment, they both stood there, breathing heavily, the tension in the air thick. Then Lara's voice cracked, the anger seeping out of her. "I didn't want it to be like this. I didn't want to lose you."

Christine's heart softened, but the anger still lingered beneath the surface. "Lara, it's not about losing me. It's about you not respecting me enough to be honest and to let me have my space."

Lara's eyes glistened with unshed tears, and her voice dropped, vulnerable now. "You're right. I messed up. I've been holding onto you so tight because... because I don't know who I am without you."

Christine was taken aback by the admission but said nothing. She didn't want to say something she would regret later, but Lara's words had cut deep.

After a heavy silence, Lara sighed, rubbing her eyes as if to push back the tears. "There's something else I need to tell you."

Christine stayed quiet, watching Lara closely.

"I've been confused... about myself," Lara started, her voice shaky. "I don't think I'm straight."

Christine blinked, her breath catching. She hadn't expected that. "What do you mean?"

"There's this girl," Lara explained, her voice growing softer as she spoke. "She's incredible. She makes my life so much better, but... I don't think she sees me that way. I think she just thinks I'm a friend."

Christine's heart sank again, but this time with an odd sense of clarity. It's Bella, she thought to herself, remembering how close Lara had gotten to Bella recently. It made sense now-the insecurities, the outbursts. They were all because of her feelings for Bella.

But she didn't say that out loud. Instead, Christine softened her voice, trying to be supportive. "Lara, it's okay. You don't have to hide this part of yourself. You need to accept it first, and everything else will fall into place. If she doesn't feel the same way, it's not the end of the world. You'll figure it out."

Lara looked at Christine, her face conflicted, like she wanted to say something more. But she stayed silent, nodding as if she were digesting what Christine had said.

The tension began to fade as they sat down on Christine's bed, both exhausted by the argument. The weight of the last few minutes hung between them, but there was a different kind of heaviness now-one filled with vulnerability, not just anger.

And then, without warning, Lara switched the topic, her voice breaking with emotion. "But none of it matters now. I missed the MCAT cutoff. I failed."

Christine felt a pang of sadness for Lara, despite everything. "Lara, I'm sorry. I know how hard you worked for that."

"I'm not going to be a doctor," Lara said bitterly, wiping at her eyes. "I'm stuck in the Pharmacy program because I wasn't good enough."

Christine sighed, sitting down beside her friend. "It's not about being 'good enough.' You're still going to be helping people, and you'll be amazing at it."

Lara sniffed, still looking unconvinced. "You think that's supposed to make me feel better? This was my dream, Christine. Now I'm just stuck here."

Christine stayed quiet for a moment, then reached out to take Lara's hand. "It's not the end of the world. You still have so much ahead of you, and you're not alone in this. We can figure it out."

Lara looked at her, her expression softening. "You really think we can?"

Christine nodded. "I do."

For the first time in weeks, something like a truce passed between them. The fight was still there, lingering under the surface, but at least they were starting to see each other again-maybe not as the best friends they once were, but something closer to that.

Lara looked down at her hands, her voice quiet again. "I don't want to lose you, Kay. I don't know who I'd be without you."

Christine didn't know how to respond to that, not entirely. But she squeezed Lara's hand, giving her the only comfort she could in that moment. "You don't have to lose me."
Lara looked at her, her eyes still shining with unshed tears. "You really mean that?"

Christine nodded, unsure of what else to say. Despite everything, despite all the hurt, she still wanted to be there for Lara. She still cared about her, and maybe, just maybe, there was a chance they could mend what had been broken.

For now, though, they sat in the silence of the room, two friends with too much history between them and too many things left unsaid. But Christine knew one thing-no matter what happened next, this was far from the end of their story.