I wince as the door slams in my face. So much for not being alone. There's a small table off in the corner with two chairs surrounding it. I pull one out and sit down, putting my head down in my arms.
Oh boy do the tears start. I never even got to say goodbye to anyone. My mum and dad had been upstairs last I heard from them. Hopefully they didn't turn out like Lorelei and become monsters. I don't think I could deal with my life if that's what happened.
Over on the counter opposite me is a block of knives. I wipe my eyes and rise to shaky legs, stumbling blindly across the room. I could end it now. all it would take is one cut...one stab, and it'll all be over.
I run the blade through my fingers before turning on the wall.
"This is for mum!" I scream, stabbing the white plaster "and for dad!" stab "and Lori!" i leave the knife in the wall this time, buried in the white all the way up to its black grip.
That's when I hear the sobs coming from the bathroom. Right. I'm not alone. This poor girl probably has been through just as much as I have if not more.
"Hey." I tap lightly on the door, greeted by a none too pleasant:
"Go away."
"I just want to talk!" I retort defensively, my emotions and anger running high.
"Miss Flinn, Miss Rollen? This is Kari Lane. She'll be joining you as well."
The guy who had been holding onto Stacey when I was brought in, now stands behind a small girl with deeply tanned skin, dark hair, and dark eyes.
The man's eyes find their way to my handiwork with the wall and I shuffle in front of the knife sheepishly. He sets his jaw and glares at me.
"I do hope you'll all get along." he gives Kari a slight nudge and shuts the door behind her.
"Hullo." I offer, not sure what else to say.
"Hi." Her words are soft, a sharp contrast to the loud, dark color of her.
"I'm Ari." I stick out an awkward hand and she takes it, shaking it slowly.
"Kari." is all she replies.
That's when the silence settles in. No one is sure what to say or do, so the two of us stare different directions avoiding contact while Stacey's locked away in the bathroom.
It feels like years (though I'm sure it's only minutes) before we hear a soft click. Stacey emerges red eyed from the small bathroom and looks at us. We just stare back.
Three girls. Three total strangers. A Southerner, a Brit, and a Westerner. All different but all similar in story. In that moment we come to understand each other. It doesn't take words, it just happens.
I give a curt nod to the others before asking: "So what do we do now?"