Until Death Do Us Apart ? ???? ???????

I sat in the waiting room, hands clenched in my lap, waiting to be tested again—for my fears. The quiet buzz of the fluorescent lights above did nothing to ease the dread pooling in my stomach.

The door creaked open. Will stumbled out, looking like he'd been chewed up and spit back out. His shirt was wrinkled, face pale, a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead. They practically shoved him toward me before disappearing again.

He slumped into the seat next to mine, chest rising and falling with sharp, shallow breaths.

"You alright?" I whispered, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye.

He gave a tight nod. "It doesn't get any easier."

"Yeah," I murmured, "I know. But we've only got a few more simulations left. Then the big test, and we're done."

He didn't respond, just stared at the floor like it held all the answers we were missing. I bumped his shoulder gently.

"We can do this," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt.

Before he could reply, the door opened again.

"Jordan?" Four stood there, clipboard in hand, expression unreadable.

I exhaled a shaky sigh and stood. My legs felt too stiff, like they didn't want to move. I followed him inside and sat in the familiar chair, the one I'd come to dread more than anything.

"I think you know the drill by now," he said.

I nodded silently and leaned back, tilting my head as the needle came into view. A sharp prick, then black.

I came to in a puddle of my own blood.

"What the hell?"

I blinked hard, trying to clear the haze from my vision. My arm burned. I looked down and saw the bullet hole—right through the bicep.

"Shit."

Pain lanced through me as I tore a strip of fabric from my shirt and wrapped it tightly around the wound. Crude, but effective. Hopefully.

As I stood, I realized I wasn't in a familiar place. A tunnel stretched out before me, dimly lit, shadows crawling along the curved walls. My heart started pounding—not from the injury, but from something deeper.

Claustrophobia.

I didn't even remember being afraid of tunnels. But apparently, my subconscious had other plans.

I took a step forward. The tunnel narrowed with every stride, like it was breathing in, pressing closer, trying to squeeze me out of existence. And then I saw him—Brandon. Just standing there at the end of the corridor.

"No. No, no, no—"

I screamed and sprinted forward, desperate to escape, to push past whatever this simulation was trying to throw at me. But the closer I got, the tighter the tunnel became. Until I couldn't run anymore.

I jolted awake, drenched in sweat. My breath came in gasps, like I'd run a marathon.

The lights above felt blinding.

"You did good with the bullet wound," Four said from the corner.

"Thanks," I muttered, though we both knew I'd completely fallen apart at the sight of Brandon. One fear at a time, I guess.

I slipped off the table and stumbled outside, barely catching my balance.

"Hey!" Christina grabbed my arm before I could leave.

I blinked at her. "What?"

"Wanna go to a party tonight?"

"No," I said flatly, already turning away.

She groaned. "What do you mean no?"

"I mean no," I repeated. "You want it in Spanish? Noh." I shot her a smirk, quoting Teen Wolf for dramatic effect.

She rolled her eyes. "Please? I don't wanna be alone."

I groaned inwardly. Of course she'd play the guilt card.

"Fine," I muttered. "Only because I love you and you're my best friend."

"Thank you!" she squealed and threw her arms around me.

Later, I flopped onto Eric's bed, sinking into the soft comforter. He flopped down next to me, handing me the soda I'd asked for.

"How about we stay in and watch a movie?" he suggested, already hopeful.

"I can't," I sighed. "I promised Christina I'd go to that party."

His face fell a little. "Really?"

"Really." I opened the soda and took a long sip.

"I'll go with you then."

I blinked at him. "You seriously don't have to. I know how much you hate parties."

"I don't hate parties," he said with a frown. "I just hate the people at them."

I laughed, curling into his comforter. I really didn't want to go. Everything in me wanted to stay in this apartment, wrapped up in soft blankets and maybe Eric, too. But I'd promised Christina. And breaking a promise to her? Not worth the chaos.

"I should get going and get ready," I said reluctantly, standing and slipping my shoes on.

"Okay," Eric said, leaning over to kiss me. "I'll see you there."

I left and headed back to the dorms, trying not to get lost in my own head. But of course, I did anyway.

What even were Eric and I?

We weren't just friends. We kissed. We cuddled. We hung out more than anyone else. It felt like something real, but we'd never put a label on it. And I didn't want to be that girl who made it weird by asking.

Still. The question lingered.

I showered quickly, washing the stress of the day off my skin. Afterward, I pulled on a black strapless dress that hit mid-thigh, the soft fabric hugging me in all the right places. I stepped into my flats—heels were cute, sure, but I'd rather not die falling down the stairs tonight.

I let my curls down and did my makeup: simple liner, a touch of highlighter, just enough to look like I hadn't tried too hard.

I looked at myself in the mirror.

Decent.

Behind me, I heard a gasp.

"Oh my god."

I turned around to find Christina standing there, wide-eyed. "You look so hot!"

I giggled, blushing slightly. "Back at you, girly."

She smiled wide and held out her arm dramatically. "Shall we?"

"We shall," I said, linking arms with her.

As we walked out together, I couldn't help but wonder—what would tonight bring? A party, sure. But maybe also answers. Maybe even something more with Eric.

Or maybe just more questions I didn't want to ask