Victor arrived in New York on Saturday. Benji had told Felix about the phonecall, so they all decided to meet at Mia's house. Apparently, Lake has a group bounding activity in mind. So he unpacked his bags and went to Mia's place.

Once he arrived, he was surprised to see Lake and Felix holding hands. "Hey Victor," Lake said.

"Hello," Victor said. "So when did that happen?"

"Wednesday," Felix said. "We even posted it on Facebook."

"I'm happy to for you guys," Victor said. They then entered the apartment, and they went to Mia's room. Benji was there, and they all sat around in a circle. They were sitting criss-cross on the floor. "So, Lake said something about a bonding exercise."

"Yes, this is something that they do sometimes at my mom's work," Lake explained. "It's called an emotion circle. It's where we sit around and talk about things that bother us. I feel like this would be a good thing for us to do. Who wants to start?"

The group was silent. Victor found it surprising how they've been friends for years, and they still don't know everything about each other. "How about you start, Victor," Lake said. "Since you're the one who inspired this meeting."

Victor then finally broke down and told them everything. About the Facebook DM, he got on the first day of school, his dad's illness, and what happened at the coffee shop before he called Benji. Mia reached for his hand and held it.

"I'm sorry that you have to go through this Vic," Mia said. "And we're sorry that you've felt like telling would make you a burden. But we're here now if you need us now. Isn't that right?"

Everyone else nodded. After a few minutes, Felix was the next to share his emotions. "After my dad left us, my mom began to become attached to everything," Felix explained. "Our apartment is now filled with all of the items she's been hoarding things over the years. I can barely make it to my room anymore due to the mess."

"Is that why you never have us over at your apartment?" Victor asked. Felix nods.

"Things are getting a little better," Felix said. "My mom's new job comes with benefits so she's been seeing a therapist. For once, she seems open to the idea of sorting out everything and possibly sealing a lot of it. Going through it will probably take a month or two, though."

"Well just give me the day you guys plan to start, and I'll help," Victor offered.

"Thanks," Felix said. It was then Mia's turn to share.

"Do you guys remember my mom?" Mia asked.

"Not really," Felix said.

"Well, I've been hiding the real reason my parents celebrated," Mia explained. "My mom became addicted to drugs when I was younger. When I was seven, she left me and my dad. My dad never seemed to recover, and he brings home different girls from all of his business trips. I haven't opened up about this before because I feel like everyone wants me to fake a smile since it makes everyone feel better."

"You shouldn't have to hide what you feel inside," Benji said.

"I know, I just feel like it's easier for everyone if I did," Mia said.

"Sometimes things can't just be easy," Benji said.

"That was very nice Benji," Lake said. "Would you like to share?"

"No thanks," Benji said. "I barely know you guys. I'm really here because Victor seemed pretty upset over the phone. I don't know if I'm ready to air out all of my drama just yet."

Victor nods. "I've always been insecure because of my mom," Lake confessed. "And it's not just because everyone just knows me as her daughter. She is constantly putting my fashion choices down, and making me feel like I look like a troll."

"I was there one time she put her down like that," Felix said. "She gets quite rude."

"If it makes you feel better, I think you're pretty," Mia said.

"Thank you," Lake said. "I'd say this circle was a success?"

"I think I would agree with that," Victor said.

"You guys want to go play some Mario Kart?" Lake asked. They stood up from their spots and went to the game room. Victor felt relieved to finally tell his friends. He felt maybe, just maybe, things might start to look better.

A/N: Thanks for reading! I got the idea for this chapter from a workshop I did with my drama group. I'm actually rehearsing for my first post-quarantine play. So if my updating schedule gets messed up, it's probably because of that.

Stay tuned for the next chapter! It's going to be quite a doozy.