Camie's friends finally managed to push themselves to the front and seeing Camie in the fountain made them see red. Emma jumped into the fountain to help Camie up while Topiary and Nylora started pulling on Lula's clothes:
"You bitch!
-Get down here!
-I'm going to make your knees turn the wrong way!"
Lula tried her best to push the girls back and it seemed the crowd had been waiting for violence all along. Some of them started helping Lula while most of them just started hitting the one closest to them. Seeing her friends being grabbed made Camie and Emma very angry. They rushed back towards the crowd, trying to help their friends. Camie could feel her hair being pulled and her face being scratched:
"What is wrong with you all? Most of you aren't even students!"
But no one cared about Camie's screams and they continued pulling her from all directions. Camie hated that feeling and it just made her even angrier. She didn't care if she was being as pitiful as them, she wanted to pull their eyes out. Seeing a man grabbing Nylora around the waist, Camie did go for him. She grabbed his face and started digging her nails into his skin. The man immediately let go of Nylora and grabbed Camie's wrists. He held her so tight that he managed to make her let go. Camie then decided to kick the stranger but it was without counting on reinforcements coming.
Two pairs of arms grabbed Camie from behind while the other man continued holding her hands. Camie started struggling and she bit the arm closest to her with all her strength. She felt blood in her mouth and the stranger let go. However the next second two other people grabbed Camie even tighter. She couldn't move at all at that point and she could feel all the rage exploding inside her. She struggled even more while screaming insults at the top of her lungs. Her limbs hurt terribly at that point but Camie couldn't feel anything because of the adrenaline. More and more arms were surrounding Camie and she could feel that she was getting out of breath. However just a second later she suddenly felt everyone letting fo at the same time:
"Ah!
-It burns!
-My arm!"
Camie took a deep breath, surprised by the sudden freedom that she had. She got so surprised that she opened her eyes, having not realized that they had been closed. When she opened them, she found herself face to face with glowing green eyes. Camie had no idea how Théa got there but seeing her made her very ashamed. Why did Théa have to see her in such a state? This was definitely the worst day of Camie's whole life and she wanted to disappear in a hole. She wanted to run away as quickly as possible but having her adrenaline suddenly drop, she couldn't move her legs. She couldn't move at all and just stood there, petrified.
"Théa!"
Lula finally came down from the fountain. She didn't even look at Camie and rushed towards Théa:
"I am so glad you're here. We were just doing a peaceful gathering when Camie and her friends showed up and started insulting and hitting us out of nowhere! Did you hear them? They are savages!"
The glance Théa shot Lula made her immediately stop in her tracks. She didn't even dare touch Théa and her hand stopped in mid air:
"Théa...
-Don't call me that. Did you really think that you could turn this your way?"
Théa looked at what was left of the crowd:
"If you don't leave right now, I am calling the police."
Théa sounded so angry that no one dared make her repeat herself.
"This concerns you too. If I ever see you around Camie again, I am going to make sure that you can't take a step in the campus.
-Théa... But...
-I told you not to call me that.
-But we are best friends! You should always agree with me! We did get into a fight but that happens between friends. She's the one that started it again! I didn't do anything wrong! It's always her!
-Enough!"
Théa's voice was so cold that Camie finally woke up. She could feel her limbs again. She grabbed Emma with one hand, Nylora with the other and ran away as quickly as possible in the opposite direction. Topiary got grabbed by Nylora and followed them too. After about ten seconds of running, Emma suddenly stopped, forcing the others to stop with her. The three of them all turned to Camie. Seeing the state she was in made Emma fulminate. Camie could see how angry she was but she swallowed it and said:
"First things first. We should get you warm clothes."
Camie looked down at Emma's pants:
"You too. I am so sorry... You got wet because of me."
Emma shook her head:
"Don't say that. I'm fine.
-Camie!"
Théa caught up to the girls and immediately rushed to Camie. She raised her hands but didn't touch Camie and stopped inches from her shoulders. Camie could feel the warmth of her hands through her wet clothes. Seeing how worried Théa was, Nylora grabbed Topiary and Emma. The latter tried getting away from Nylora but she didn't let her.
"We will go get Camie and Emma something to wear."
Camie didn't want to stay alone with Théa. She didn't dislike Théa but she just felt too ashamed. In her despair, she grabbed Nylora's shirt. Nylora turned back and seeing Camie's pleading eyes made her smile:
"It's okay. We will be back soon. Just wait for us here. We will take care of Emma."
Camie bit her lips, not daring to look at Théa.
"Camie... Are you perhaps mad at me?"
Camie shook her head quickly. She tried looking up but immediately lowered her head back.
"Then... Are you perhaps ashamed of what happened?"
Camie jumped hearing those words. Seeing the way she reacted, Théa screamed:
"No!"
Théa immediately stopped. She exalted slowly trying to soften her voice:
"I am sorry, Camie. I didn't mean to frighten you. You didn't do anything wrong. You were so brave."
Camie finally looked up:
"Was I?
-Of course you were. You stood up to a whole crowd for what you thought was right. I don't know anyone else that's capable of such a thing. You are..."
Théa looked at every inch of Camie's face.
"You are the bravest person I know. You did well today."
Camie could feel her throat close up and she didn't like it at all. She started biting her lips with all her might and could feel blood inside her mouth. It did win her a few seconds but she wasn't going to hold out for much longer.
"May I hug you?"
Camie took a step back.
"I don't need help."
Théa nodded:
"Okay.
-You don't have to mind me. I can do it.
-Of course you can. But Camie, it's okay to need help sometimes. And even if you don't, it's okay to ask for someone to support you. That's what friends are for. We help even if we aren't needed.
-But... You help people all the time. I don't want to be a burden to you too.
-You were never a burden to me, Camie. On the contrary. You helped me countless times. I would kill to be there for you in hard times. I don't care about anyone else. I just want to be there for you.
-No... That's too much. You deserve better than that.
-And you don't?"
Hearing Théa cream again made Camie flinch:
"I'm sorry, Camie... I just... Please don't say such things. I care so much about you. I can't take hearing you say that you don't deserve my help.
-I could have beat them.
-Of course you could have."
Hearing Théa lie made Camie feel even worse about herself. Until then she never regretted any of her actions. But what if she had been wrong all along? What if Théa would have been better off without her? She could have supported her from the shadows. What if she made everything worse?
"I shouldn't have done anything."
Camie couldn't hold back her tears anymore. They had accumulated for so long that she thought they would never stop.
"I thought I could change things but they just got way worse. I destroyed everything. This is all because of me... I am so sorry."