Valery’s return was met with no fanfare. None greeted her warmly nor welcomed her with smiles. Or rather, there war smiles. All facing her. Though the only warmth she felt sat in her cheeks. As the halls were filled with laughter and jeers at her expense. Students around her feigned her distress, covering their faces while screeching like wild monkeys. And as her skull flared in pain, her distress deepened.

What a fucking freak!

Weirdo!

Can’t believe we go to school with her.

The collision of noise strung louder than before and even as Valery covered her ears its volume only intensified.

What is she doing?

Is she going to cry?

Did she go crazy?!

What an attention whore.

Freaky bitch.

Is she going to do the thing?!

Is she having a breakdown?

Better get my phone out.

Can’t miss this!

Gotta catch this.

Before she knew it, Valery was dashing down the halls. Watching as the many students around her blurred together. Their laughter and insults. Their thoughts. Raging through her mind bore against her like a drill bit. It ground and stirred against her perceptions, forcing tears to well in her eyes. 

Finding her room, Valery barged against the door. Shivering as the incessant puddle of the student body pushed against her door. Their voices stabbed against her nerves. Flaring her mind in a maddening agony. 

The doctors ensured she’d feel headaches. On account for the concussion. Yet as she reached for the foil wrapped painkillers, her senses froze. and she found herself tearing at the foil with her teeth. Desperately scraping away while the clear plastic taunted her with its ill compliance. As the pale pills slid down her throat and the pain finally ebbed away, Valery laid against the floor. Pressing her cheek against its striking chill.

Laying just as she did in the hospital, Valery took note of the silence. Its serenity. Vallery didn’t dare taint its existence with words. Letting out a weak chuckle at her failings. Vallery found the laugh stretching onward. Growing louder. And louder. Until its composure melted into deep, mirthful sobs. Vallery couldn’t track how long she laid on the floor, but her sobs must’ve been loud as the bathroom door slowly opened.

“Hey…” Sasha said, peering along her roommate’s crumpled form. Her movements were swift as Sasha came to Valery’s side, yet her bravado was broken upon the sight of Valery’s face. Gone was her quiet sense of certainty and the demure sense of care. There was only an exhausted, defeated child.

With a deep huff of determination, Sasha regained a light smile and went about her usual routine.

“Well, I’ve gotta say schools been a headache without you”

“...”

“I mean seriously my grades are headed down the drain at this point”

Sasha didn’t expect it, but as Valery elicited a light chuckle, the room’s atmosphere felt that much lighter.

“Actually on that thought, those assholes that attacked you seem to be getting a good dose of karma on that front”

“What do you mean?” Valery murmured

“Apparently the three of them are getting held back this year”

“R-really why?”

“It seems like their project scores are straight zeros, apparently they never helped on their projects, leaving one member to do all the work, ”

“O-oh that’s um... nice”

Stunned for a moment, Sasha stared at Valery “nice? I thought you’d be ecstatic that those knob jockeys got what’s coming to them”

Vallery could only shift in her seat as her chest swelled with guilt. It’s because of me they’re even getting held back.

It was beyond clear to her. She always made her own projects, ones that would outshine her groups, taking all of their credit for herself. It had finally caught up to her. All the superiority she once felt, the pride in standing above someone else. It laid crushed under the guilt that now limited her words.

As the silence permeated and persisted Sasha took her leave finding little else to do to comfort the now silent Valery. Though as Valery pondered the length of their meager conversation it was enough time for the drugs to wear off.

Soon the grim arena roar collided against her skull, leaving only a throbbing pain in its wake. Squeezing her hands against her head, Valery gasped as the screeching wave of madness threatened to split her head in two. Throwing herself to the floor, Valery could feel her body growing stiff. Her arms writhed with invisible pins as a chill swept through her body. Her throat was starched and stale, barely even able to release a mere syllable. Yet she cried anyway.

Sasha

Suddenly the storm fell silent.

Geez, I hope she isn’t throwing a tantrum. 

As a single voice pierced its dark veil.

Well, I wouldn’t put it past her at this point

“w-what”

Why can’t she just suck it up already I won’t be there to coddle her forever

“Wait but Sasha I-”

It’s like she can’t do anything for herself but she goes about upstaging everyone in class it’s so irritating

“but Sasha I never meant to” 

Is she talking to herself now? God, I hate I can’t switch rooms till next year.

“what but Sasha, you’re my-”

I hope she doesn’t find out I took the video

“The video…?”

I can’t believe I got so many views off of her already. Maybe I should prank her some more and start a YouTube channel.

In an instant, the stiffness. Dashed away by a force deep and strange. A foreign heat swarmed Valery’s flesh, forcing the air itself to flee in an ancient fear. Its waves curled away. Warping through rage and sadness. Massing larger and deeper before finally. It was gone.

The vacuum was refreshing if for a moment, though the voices crept back into existence. Now limited to an omniscient whisper, but a dire shriek immediately silenced its presence.

It took a moment for Valery to break from her stupor. The bitter rage seeping across her pallet left much to her chagrin. Yet as the muffled cries grew louder and more desperate, her mind snapped into focus. Bursting through the bathroom, Valery stood stunned as Sasha laid sobbing on the floor. Her hands clutched her mouth as crimson saliva slid down her face. 

“w-what the fuck happened?!” Vallery exclaimed. Sasha held no words. Wet guttural groans took their stead as she held a lone finger toward her bed. 

Though as Valery eyed the sight of Sasha’s distress her body shuddered in disgust. Leaving her heave and choke as her stomach wretched against her. Fighting the urge to vomit, Valery cringed at the deep red stain that tabled the mysterious lump of meat. That was Sasha’s tongue.

Hesitant to touch the stubby meat chunk, Valery frantically looked for her phone, finding Sasha’s instead. Opening the emergency call line, Valery searched for an unused towel to carry the tongue but stood interrupted as her call came through. 

The rush downstairs was a blur between Sasha’s mirthful moans and the pack of students that nipped at their heels. Though as Sasha was handed off to the teachers to wait for the ambulance, tongue in hand Valery stood just beyond the door. The drama hunting pack of students around her sent a slew of questions and insults her way, yet they all fell to static. Some may have taken her condition as shock, seeing she had carried a severed tongue down three flights of stairs. Yet in truth it was bewildered excitement.

Did I do this?