COMPROMISING SITUATION

Evangeline’s voice was hushed, edged with irritation as she spoke into the phone, with a stiff posture.

“I said I’m with a guest,” she murmured, turning slightly away as if that would grant her some privacy. “can you not disturb me.”

There was a pause.

Her grip on the phone tightened, her free hand curling slightly at her side. Whatever was being said on the other end wasn’t something she liked.

“It’s none of your business, Adeline,” she snapped. “Shut up.”

The call ended abruptly, Evangeline cutting the conversation short before the person on the other end could get another word in. She stared at the screen for a moment, her expression unreadable, like she was debating whether to call back or throw the damn thing across the room.

Blakely shifted on her feet, watching as the woman exhaled slowly, blinking herself back into the present.

The phone call had interrupted what was supposed to be their ‘walk.’ They hadn’t even started when the same guy who had carried the phone box earlier approached, a phone in hand, saying her sister was calling. Evangeline had taken it, turning her back slightly as if that alone could make Blakely disappear while she handled whatever was happening.

Now, as she handed the phone back to the guy, Evangeline remained quiet, staring off like she was running a million thoughts at once. Then she sighed and forced a small, tight smile onto her face before turning to Blakely.

“You can go back to your room,” she said. “I have something urgent to deal with. We can take that walk later, maybe tomorrow. Go get ready for dinner.”

That was it. No further explanation.

Blakely tilted her head slightly, watching her for a moment longer, but Evangeline didn’t offer anything else. She just stood there, fingers lightly tapping against her thigh, clearly preoccupied.

Fine.

Without another word, Blakely turned and walked away.

As she climbed the stairs, she barely paid attention to her surroundings, lost in thought. So when she almost collided with someone at the top, it startled the shit out of her.

“Oh, shit—sorry!” The guy stepped back quickly, gripping a stack of books against his chest to keep them from toppling over.

She exhaled sharply, taking a step back. “It’s fine,” she muttered, giving him a once-over.

He hesitated for a second before flashing a small, somewhat nervous smile, then, to her confusion, stretched the books out toward her.

She raised a brow.

Realizing how weird that must have looked, he shook his head quickly. “Oh—uh, right. Sorry. I borrowed some notes from Frankie and wanted to return them, but Mr. Finn made it pretty clear we’re not allowed to go into any of the girls’ rooms. For any reason.”

Blakely crossed her arms. “Okay… and?”

“And,” he continued, switching the books to one hand and digging into his pocket with the other, “Elijah asked me to give you this.”

He pulled out a small Hershey’s milk chocolate bar and handed it to her.

She took it, looking down at it for a second before glancing back up. “Elijah?”

“He went on a trip. Couldn't come here with us,” he explained.

She nodded, turning it around to read the name. “Tell him I said thanks.”

He grinned and stretched the books toward her again, looking hopeful. “So can you help me? Just this time. Please?”

She stared at the books, debating. She could tell him to just figure it out himself, but then he’d probably just stand around awkwardly, waiting for Frankie to appear like a lost puppy.

With another sigh, she took the books from him.

“Thank you!” He looked genuinely relieved. “I owe you one.”

Blakely didn’t respond, just turned and walked down the hall. She heard his footsteps rushing past her as he disappeared into one of the last rooms.

The things she did for people.

She turned down the next hallway, stopping in front of the third door. She knocked twice. No response.

Thinking they might not be in, she decided to just drop the books and leave. Besides, she wasn't ready to have any talk with her so this might be the best.

She pushed the door open, stepping inside. And immediately regretted every single decision that led her here.

“What the fuck?!” Her voice sliced through the scene, disgust, and the pure horror in her tone undeniable.

Frankie and her roommate practically flew apart, scrambling away from each other like they had been caught committing a high crime. In Blakely's view they were.

Frankie just stared at her, wide-eyed, clearly just as shocked as she was. The other girl looked like she wanted to disappear, her face flushed in a way that made it hard to tell if it was embarrassment or something else.

Blakely stood frozen in the doorway, her stomach twisting in pure, undiluted disgust.

Frankie. Making out.

With some girl.

Her roommate.

Her roommate.

What. The. Actual. Fuck.

The silence stretched painfully, thick with awkward tension.

She didn’t even give either of them the chance to say anything.

Her face twisted into something between shock and revulsion as she threw the books down onto the floor.

“Someone wanted me to give you these,” she snapped.

And then she turned on her heel and walked straight out, leaving the door wide open behind her.

………….

The girl turned away from the door, her hands trembling slightly as she grabbed her shirt from the bed. Her breath was uneven, and when she pulled the fabric over her head, she sniffled, quickly wiping at her eyes like she didn’t want Frankie to see.

She exhaled sharply and turned to face her, her expression tense. “Just… deal with this, Frankie. Talk to her. Do whatever you have to do, so she doesn’t tell anyone. I'm dead ify family finds out.” Her voice wavered, and she crossed her arms, hugging herself like she was trying to hold something in. “I never even wanted to do this in the first place.”

Frankie scoffed, dragging her own shirt down properly, rolling her shoulders like she was shaking off the moment. Then she rolled her eyes.

“Don’t act like I forced you or something,” she muttered, voice flat. “But yeah, I’ll talk to her.”

She didn’t look at the girl again as she adjusted her clothes, sighing as she ran a hand through her messy hair. This was the last thing she wanted to deal with right now. She glared at the scattered books on the floor.