Chapter 18

I woke up feeling the warmth of Cat's body beneath me, her steady breathing a comforting rhythm. I blinked my eyes open, feeling a bit disoriented. Cat had fallen asleep with me curled up on top of her, my way of trying to comfort her through her sickness.

As I slowly disentangled myself from her, careful not to wake her, I noticed the slight flush on her cheeks. She still looked tired, and I felt a pang of guilt for not taking better care of her. I decided to grab some medicine for her, hoping to help alleviate her symptoms.

I padded quietly to the kitchen, rummaging through the medicine cabinet for the cold medicine.

I checked on the kitchen counter, right next to the bottles Cat gave me. There was a little bottle of pills that looked as if it could be cold medicine.

I read the label: "Laxatives."

My heart skipped a beat. What was Cat doing with laxatives? And why were they right by the open bottles?

A memory flashed through my mind—the times uncontrollably had to pee, it was always after she had given me my bottle. Could it be...?

I felt a cold sweat break out on my forehead. My hands shook as I put the bottles back and closed the cabinet. I needed to get out of there, and fast.

I quickly dressed in the clothes I had worn the previous day, my mind racing. Fear consumed my thoughts. How could she do this to me? Why?

I grabbed a bag and started stuffing it with clothes and essentials, my movements hurried and frantic. I couldn't stay here. I needed to get away, to clear my head and figure out what to do next.

I picked up my phone and dialed my cousin Eiki's number, praying he would answer. After a few rings, his familiar voice came on the line.

"Hey, Erika! What's up?"

"Eiki, I need your help," I said, my voice trembling. "Can I stay with you for a while? Again, I...I can't stay here."

There was a pause on the other end of the line, then his voice, more serious now. "Of course, Erika. What's going on? Are you okay?"

"I'll explain everything later. I just need to get out of here," I said, fighting back tears.

"Okay, come over whenever you can. My door is always open for you," he said gently.

"Thank you, Eiki. I'll be there soon," I said, hanging up the phone.

I took one last look around the room, feeling nothing but anger. I quietly made my way out of the house, not wanting to wake Catherine. As I walked down the street, I couldn't stop thinking of Catherine's intentions. She was literally driving me! I thought she cared for me.

I supposed I was wrong. I need to get out of that house now.

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Eiki's dorm was small but cozy, with a lived-in feel that was comforting. As we walked inside, I could hear the hum of a sports game on the television and the faint aroma of something spicy. His roommate, Sal, was lounging on his, flipping through a sports magazine. He looked up as we walked in.

"Hey, Erika," Sal greeted with a friendly smile. "How's it going?"

"Hi, Sal. It's going as good as it can," I replied, trying to sound casual, but my voice betrayed a hint of unease.

"You can sleep on my bed and i'll sleep on the floor," Eiki said, placing my bag by his bed. "If you need anything, just let me know."

"Eiki no I'll sleep on the floor," I replied, hugging him tightly. "I really appreciate this."

"No, nonsense, Erika. You're taking the bed no arguments," he said, giving me a reassuring smile before setting down a blanket on the floor.

I smiled back at him for his kindness.

I spent the next few hours settling in, arranging my things and trying to push thoughts of Catherine out of my mind. But every now and then, the memory of what I had discovered would resurface, sending a shiver down my spine. How could I have been so naive? I had trusted her, and she had been drugging me. The betrayal stung more than I could put into words.

Around dinnertime, I ventured out of the room to join Eiki and Sal. The two of them were sitting in the common room with bowls of steaming ramen in front of them.

"Hey, Erika! Come join us," Eiki called, motioning to an empty chair.

I hesitated for a moment, but my growling stomach made the decision for me. I took a seat, and Sal handed me a bowl of ramen.

"Thanks," I said, giving him a small smile.

"No problem. Eiki told me you had a rough time with your roommate," Sal said, trying to make conversation.

"Yeah, she was just really controlling," I replied, keeping my answer vague.

"Well, you're fine here now," Sal said, his tone reassuring.

We ate in relative silence after that, the only sounds being the clinking of chopsticks and the slurping of noodles. Despite the unease that still lingered, I felt a small sense of normalcy returning.

After dinner, I retreated to Eiki's room, needing some time alone to process everything. I tried to distract myself with homework, but my mind kept drifting back to the events of the past few days. The realization that Catherine had been drugging me made my skin crawl. I had to get out of there, but now I wasn't sure what my next step should be.

The next day, I decided to attend my classes as usual, hoping to regain some semblance of a normal routine. As I walked to campus, I tried to focus on my upcoming finals, but Catherine kept blowing up my phone. All last night she was non-stop calling me.

I thought about answering, confronting her, but decided against it I needed to forget her and pretend as if nothing ever happened.

In my psychology class, I met up with Josh. He had always been kind to me, and today was no different.

"Hey, Erika," he greeted, giving me a warm smile. "How's it going?"

"Hey, Josh. I'm okay, I guess," I replied, trying to sound more upbeat than I felt.

"You sure? You seem a bit off," he said, concern evident in his eyes.

"I've just been stressed about finals," I lied, not wanting to burden him with the truth.

"Yeah, they're brutal," he agreed. "If you need any help studying, just let me know."

"Thanks, Josh. I appreciate it," I said, grateful for his offer.

After class, Josh and I walked to the campus café together. As we talked about our upcoming exams, I found myself relaxing a bit. His presence was comforting, a reminder of what normal college life was supposed to be like.

As we sat down with our coffee, Josh leaned in slightly, his expression turning serious. "Erika, if there's anything else going on, you can tell me, you know."

I looked at him, surprised by his perceptiveness. "I... it's complicated," I said, not sure how much I wanted to reveal.

"Hey, no pressure. Just know that I'm here for you, okay?" he said, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Thanks, Josh. That means a lot," I said, feeling a warmth spread through me.

As we continued talking, I felt a strange mix of emotions. I liked Josh; he was kind and attentive. But I couldn't shake the feeling that I was drawn to him more for the sense of normalcy he provided than anything else. It was comforting to be around someone who treated me like a regular college student, not a child to be babied.

When Josh walked me back to my next class, he leaned in and kissed me softly. It was sweet and tender, but I felt a pang of guilt. Was I using him to escape from my problems with Catherine? I couldn't tell, but for now, I decided to focus on my studies and figure out my feelings later.

Later that day, I returned to Eiki's apartment, hoping to avoid any more awkward conversations. Sal was in the common room, watching TV, and Eiki was cooking dinner.

"Hey, Erika. How was your day?" Eiki asked as I walked in.

"It was okay," I replied, trying to sound more positive than I felt.

"Glad to hear it. Dinner will be ready soon," he said, smiling at me.

I nodded and headed to my room to drop off my bag. As I sat on the bed, I thought about my conversation with Josh and the kiss we had shared. My feelings were all over the place, and I wasn't sure what to do about it.

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. "Hey, Erika. You okay?" Sal asked, peeking his head in.

"Yeah, just tired," I replied, forcing a smile.

"Alright. If you ever want to talk, I'm here," he said, giving me a reassuring look before closing the door.

I sighed and lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. I needed to sort out my feelings, but first, I had to figure out what to do about my living situation. Staying with Eiki was great, but I felt like I was invading his space. I needed a fresh start, away from everything that reminded me of Catherine.

The next day, I called Calliope. She had proven to be one of my close friends, and I knew I could trust her.

"Hey, Calliope. It's Erika," I said when she answered.

"Erika! It's been ages! How are you?" she exclaimed, sounding genuinely happy to hear from me.

"I'm... not great, to be honest," I admitted. "I was wondering if I could stay with you for a while. I know you have a spare bed now that your third roommate dropped out, and I need to get away from my current situation."

"Of course, you can stay with me! What happened?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.

"It's a long story." I said, not wanting to go into details over the phone.

"Alright. Come over whenever you're ready. My other roommate and I would love to have you," Calliope said warmly.

"Thanks, Calliope. I really appreciate it," I said, feeling a sense of relief.

After packing up my things, I thanked Eiki and Sal for their hospitality and headed over to Calliope's apartment. It was a bit of a walk, but I felt more at ease with each step taken.

When I arrived, Calliope greeted me with a tight hug. "Erika! I'm so glad you're here," she said, her smile infectious.

"Thanks, Calliope. It's really good to see you," I replied, hugging her back.

Her dorm was bright and cheerful, a stark contrast to the tension I had been living with. Her roommate, a bubbly girl named Noel, welcomed me warmly.

"Make yourself at home, Erika," Noel said, showing me to the guest room.

"Thanks, Noel. I really appreciate it," I said, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders.

That evening, the three of us sat in the living room, catching up and sharing stories. It felt good to laugh and talk about normal things for a change.

"So, what's been going on with you, Erika?" Calliope asked, her eyes full of curiosity and concern.

"Well my roommate, the weird one, was just too much. She did odd things." I explained.

"Like what?" Calliope asked.

"I don't want to get into it." I finished looking away.

Noel put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "You're good now, Erika. We're here for you," she said, giving me a reassuring smile.

"Thanks, you guys. It means a lot," I said, feeling a surge of gratitude.

We spent the rest of the evening talking and laughing, and for the first time in a long while, I felt a sense of hope. Maybe things would be okay after all.

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short ch , it's just a filler🙌🙌. next ch will be cat's pov.