The bathroom walls felt like they were closing in on Christine. She had been hiding there for hours, her fever simmering down, but the pounding in her head persisted, a mix of physical illness and the weight of what was waiting for her outside. She leaned against the cool tiles, her heart heavy with dread.

She couldn't stay in here forever.

Taking a deep breath, Christine finally unlocked the door and stepped back into the room. The first thing she noticed was the mess-papers scattered, books tossed around, clothes strewn about like a hurricane had torn through the space. And sitting in the center of it all was Lara, her face unnervingly calm.

Christine's eyes flicked over to her bed, desperate for rest, but she didn't say a word. She was too tired to confront Lara's chaos. She just wanted to lay down, close her eyes, and pretend that none of this was happening.

But, of course, Lara wasn't going to let her.

"You want me out of your life so bad, don't you?" Lara's voice was quiet, but there was a dangerous edge to it. Christine stopped in her tracks, dread pooling in her stomach. "Fine. Sleep with me," Lara said, her tone steady, her gaze locked onto Christine. "Spend one night with me, and I'll let you off. I'll leave you alone."

Christine froze, her blood running cold. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What?" she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper. She turned to face Lara fully, her eyes wide with shock.

Lara's face was unnervingly calm, her expression almost casual. "You heard me. Sleep with me, and I'll be out of your life. That's all I'm asking."

Christine's heart pounded in her chest, her hands trembling at her sides. This was once her best friend. How could she? How could Lara even say something like that?

"You... you can't be serious," Christine stammered, her voice shaking with disbelief.

Lara leaned back against the headboard, a smirk pulling at her lips. "Oh, I'm dead serious. You're not even that great, Christine. You think you're so special? You think everyone's in love with you? All you do is flirt with girls and boys. Maybe you even do more with them. So why not just do it with me? I'm not asking for a lot."

Christine's blood boiled at those words. Her vision blurred with rage as she took a step forward, fists clenched at her sides. "What do you take me for, Lara? Do I look like someone who hooks up with every random person? You have no right to degrade me like this!"

Lara scoffed, her eyes narrowing. "Oh, don't act all innocent now. I've seen the way you are with people. You're not fooling anyone. I'm just asking for one night. I'll make sure you enjoy it. You know what I mean, right?"

The room seemed to tilt on its axis, Christine's mind reeling from the vile words spilling out of Lara's mouth. In that moment, something inside her snapped. The hurt, the betrayal, the disgust-it all came crashing down like a wave she could no longer hold back.

Without thinking, Christine's hand flew through the air, a hard slap landing square on Lara's cheek. The sound echoed through the room, and for a moment, everything went silent.

But it wasn't enough.

Christine raised her hand again, her palm connecting with Lara's face a second time, harder than before. "I hate you!" she screamed, her voice shaking with fury. "You're disgusting, Lara!"

Lara's head snapped to the side from the force of the slap, her eyes wide with shock. For the first time, she seemed speechless, her mouth hanging open as she stared at Christine in disbelief.

Christine stood there, her chest heaving, tears stinging the corners of her eyes. She had never hit anyone before. She had never thought she'd ever feel so much hatred toward someone she had once called her best friend.

But now, looking at Lara-at the person she had become-Christine felt nothing but revulsion.

Lara finally recovered, her lips curling into a bitter smile. "I knew it," she whispered, her voice dripping with venom. "I knew you were just like everyone else. You think you're so much better than me, don't you?"

Christine didn't respond. She couldn't. Her throat felt tight, her stomach churning with nausea. She couldn't be in this room anymore. She couldn't stand to look at Lara for another second.

Without a word, Christine stormed toward the door, her feet moving on their own. She needed to get out. She needed to breathe, to escape the suffocating presence of Lara. Her hand gripped the doorknob, twisting it open with a sharp jerk.

"Don't you dare walk away from me!" Lara's voice rang out behind her, but Christine didn't stop. She didn't turn around. She slammed the door behind her, the sound reverberating down the hallway.

The cool air hit Christine's face as she stepped outside, her heart still racing in her chest. She didn't know where she was going. She didn't care. All she knew was that she had to get away, had to put as much distance between herself and Lara as possible.

Tears blurred her vision as she stumbled down the hall, her mind spinning with everything that had just happened. The slap, the words, the realization that Lara wasn't just toxic-she was dangerous.

The night air outside was crisp, biting at Christine's skin as she stepped out of the dorm building. She sucked in a deep breath, the cold air filling her lungs and clearing her head. She wiped at her eyes, trying to steady herself, but the weight of what had just happened was too heavy to bear.

She had slapped her best friend. She had lost control. But what else could she have done? Lara had crossed a line-several lines. She wasn't the same person anymore. And Christine couldn't-wouldn't-be dragged down into that darkness with her.

But as she stood there in the cold, the adrenaline slowly fading from her system, Christine felt something else creeping in.

Guilt.

It wrapped around her like a tight coil, squeezing her chest until it was hard to breathe. Despite everything Lara had said, despite the vile accusations and manipulations, Christine couldn't shake the feeling that she had failed somehow. That maybe, just maybe, she had pushed Lara to this point.

But no. Christine shook her head, trying to dispel the thought. This wasn't her fault. Lara had made her own choices. She had taken their friendship and twisted it into something unrecognizable.

Christine wrapped her arms around herself, the chill of the night finally starting to seep into her bones. She didn't know what to do next. She didn't know how to fix this, or if it was even possible to fix.

But one thing was clear-she couldn't go back to that room. Not tonight. Maybe not ever.

Patience has a limit, take it too far and it's cowardice. Christine can be anything but a coward. She can't let Lara control her life anymore. It's not Christine's fault if Lara chooses to be like this, act like a victim or even wishes for death.

With a determined expression on her face she walks towards Kate's room.