Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting a harsh, sterile glow over the room. The cold light felt more like a warning than an invitation. Harper tightened her hands into fists to keep her nerves at bay, yet she couldn't help but jump each time the door opened and closed with that familiar metallic clank. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as the guard's watchful eyes let her know that every one of her moves was being scrutinized. The visitation room buzzed with restless energy. The scrape of chairs against the floor, the low hum of fluorescent lights, and the overlapping voices of inmates and their visitors created an unsettling symphony. Harper tried to focus on anything but the oppressive noise pressing down on her. She recognized a few of them from her last visit but didn't know their names and didn't care to.

She was here for one person, and one person only.

Harper sat back in the chair, tugging at the long sleeves of her shirt in an attempt to ignore the stares. Her fingers traced the delicate chain around her wrist, twisting it in a circle as her eyes flew to the clock on the far wall.

Two minutes.

It felt like an eternity in a place where time was meaningless, no matter what the clock said. It was an illusion meant to fool everyone into thinking that the seconds and minutes hands moved as they should and not stop entirely once the visitors left.

Harper's nerves twisted as she waited for Robby. He should've been here by now, flashing that tired grin to reassure her. Instead, the minutes dragged, and her thoughts grew darker.

When the door opened once again, she let out a sigh of relief when Robby walked in. The smile she'd plastered onto her face faltered when she noticed that he looked worse than the last time she'd seen him – skinnier and with exhaustion written across his face. It wasn't until he sat down across from her with a strained smile of his own that she noticed the bruising on his face from a recent fight. Her chest tightened at the horrors he was living through because there wasn't anything she could do to help him. All she could do was visit him, talk to him but in a place like this, it was hardly a reprieve from the nightmare he was living day in and day out.

"You came back," Robby said, his voice quiet as if afraid that speaking any louder would be a cause for getting into trouble. He sat back in the chair, crossing his arms but refused to meet her eye. There was a tightness to his jaw as he looked anywhere but at her, and she couldn't tell if his anger was directed at his situation or at her.

She hoped it wasn't the latter because she wouldn't be able to handle another fallout with a friend. Even though Demetri was still on her side, offering his support whenever he could, the rest of her friendships were strained. Irreparable. Harper and Sam had barely spoken a word to each other since the night of the fundraiser. Their friendship, which had already been held together by glue and tape, had come undone.

Harper knew her relationship with Hawk was controversial. She hadn't expected cheers or approval, but she had hoped for some understanding.

Of all the times she'd stood by her friends' choices and actions, she wasn't given the same courtesy in return. They'd iced her out. Villainized her.

And perhaps, they had never been her friends to begin with. Perhaps she'd always been nothing but a foster kid in their eyes. A charity case they took under their wing and thrown out when she got too complicated, too messy.

It was a morbid thought, but morbidity and her life went hand in hand.

"Of course I came back. I promised I would," Harper said, trying to add a smile into her voice. A carefully constructed facade that everything was okay.

Robby nodded, but it was like the light had gone out in his eyes. He ran a hand over his face, pausing for a moment as if even that small effort was too much. When he finally looked at her, it was with a gaze dulled by fatigue. He was still here, sitting before her, but he was just a shell of himself. It was painfully obvious how much this place was affecting him. His shoulders were tense, and his eyes almost held no life in them as if he was just going through the motions of his life.

"You don't have to keep visiting me, you know. I know you've been busy," Robby said, his voice monotone except for that last word.

Busy.

He'd said it with such bitterness that it raised alarms in her mind. She had an idea of what he meant as he still kept in touch with Sam. It twisted her stomach into knots at the thought of him knowing more about her life than she'd been able to share herself. Her life had been translated from someone else's skewed perspective, presumably painting her in a darker light.

Harper brushed his words aside, though.

Deflect. Deflect. Deflect.

This visit wasn't about her. It was about Robby.

He needed a connection to the outside world almost as much as she needed him. And the last thing Harper wanted was to make this visit about her and the mountain of issues that seemed to follow her around.

"How are you holding up?" Harper asked instead, once again taking in the bags under his eyes from a restless sleep. And the bruises spoke volumes of just how shitty everything actually was — how every day was a fight for survival.

"What do you think, Harper? It's juvie," Robby said, his tone flat and hollow, like he was already halfway out of the conversation. "It's the same shit everyday, but I'm getting through it."

Harper scoffed, rolling her eyes at his deflection despite having just done the same. "So what happened? Did you trip over your own two feet again?" She asked, leaning forward slightly as she gestured to the bruises that were impossible to ignore. Her tone was light enough, and she hoped to break through the walls Robby had constructed around himself – walls that were almost as tall as her own.

"Yeah, something like that," Robby said with a dry laugh.

A sigh escaped her lips at the short, blunt answers he was giving her. It wasn't that she expected him to be talkative and relay every detail of every day to her but this sudden coldness towards her left her feeling a little more than uneasy. It felt like he was here out of obligation more than anything else like he could get through another day without a visit from her.

It stung because Robby wasn't just her best friend — he was her last anchor, the only one who hadn't let go when everyone else had. Losing him wasn't an option. Their pasts were similarly dark, and the bond they'd formed over the summer was unbreakable. Or so she'd thought. Somewhere between her last visit and today, something had changed. And she wasn't sure that she wanted to know.

Sharp laughter broke through her thoughts, and she quickly looked towards the source. An inmate sat a few tables over, his conversation bleeding into everyone else's. But it was the sharp smirk he sent her that caused her to freeze for a moment before she tugged at her bracelet. She didn't need to look twice to know who had left those marks on Robby's face. The smirk said it all. When Harper looked towards Robby, he clenched his jaw but stared down at the scratched surface of the table as if it held all the answers to this messed up situation.

"Who is that?" Harper asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"No one." Robby sighed at the unrelenting look on her face. "Shawn. He's kinda made himself the leader here. No one messes with him."

Harper's stomach twisted. She knew his type well — every juvie had a Shawn, someone who rules through fear and leaves scars deeper than bruises. Des had been her Shawn back when she'd done her time. A friend who took her under her wing only to stab her in the back.

She hadn't realized she was staring until Shawn's gaze lazily slid to hers. He winked as if daring her to say something but she looked away first, her grip tightening on the bracelet as the chain dug into her skin.

"Robby, did he —"

"Drop it, okay?" he cut her off, a look of warning flashing in his eyes. "I'm handling it."

"Handling it?" Harper repeated, exasperation crossing her face as she risked a glance back toward the other inmate. "This doesn't look like you're handling anything. It actually kinda looks like you're just giving up. That's not you. Look, I know you don't want to start shit in here. Believe me, I know how this place works but… you have to defend yourself. You can't just let them push you around like this."

A humorless laugh escaped his lips as he shook his head. "So, what? I'm supposed to show no mercy? Strike first, strike hard?" He asked, as he finally looked at her but still somehow avoided her gaze at the same time. "I mean, those are the kinda guys you're going for these days, right?"

His words hit her like a slap, and she couldn't help but feel the sting of his words. It wasn't the accusation or the cold look in his eyes that got to her — it was the disapproval that was laced between the words.

She started to say something but the words lodged in her throat. Because what could she even say to that? Dive into the same explanation that started to feel more like a script than anything else? It didn't matter how many times she defended her actions, her choices — no one cared. All they saw was the girl who blindly stood by her bad decisions.

"So, is this the sidepiece or are you just keeping your options open?" Shawn's voice carried across the room, landing at their table with the kind of mockery and insinuation that stopped their conversation cold.

Harper caught the unmistakable way Robby's shoulders tensed – how his hands curled into fists before he crossed his arms. What really got to her was how quietly he sat while the anger seethed below the surface. He wasn't fighting back, wasn't making a comment of his own to shut Shawn down. It was so unlike the Robby that she knew that her breath caught for a moment.

The thin chain of her bracelet cut into her wrist, but she barely registered it. Harper's own heart raced, the anger building up inside her but she kept her expression as neutral as possible. She glanced over at Shawn, who sat at his table looking smug because he knew his words had landed like a punch. She should stay quiet. She should ignore him and focus on her conversation with Robby even if it felt like pulling teeth. But the words were out before she could stop them, before she could think them through.

"We're just friends," Harper said, her voice steady despite the rapid beating of her heart. She risked a look at the two guards standing sentry in the room, but their disinterested expressions told her they weren't paying attention. "But you wouldn't know what friends are since no one's exactly visiting you, huh?"

"Harper." Robby shot her a look, exasperation pouring off of him at her inability to stay silent.

She didn't entirely disagree with him; she often spoke without thinking but that's what happened when she felt the need to defend a friend. Her mouth worked quicker than her brain, usually resulting in a situation that otherwise could have been avoided.

Harper shrugged, but didn't regret speaking up. The Shawn's of the world needed a reminder that they weren't untouchable.

"She fights your battles for you now, Keene?" Chuckling to himself, his voice was quiet enough to not draw attention but it held an unmistakable edge. Shawn glanced over at Robby who continued to sit in a tension filled silence.

Harper frowned at Robby's lack of response. Juvie had a way of silencing you, of making you feel less than. And that's exactly what it had done to Robby. The risks of escalating the situation were high, and she knew what happened to the kids who spoke up or fought back. Isolation was amongst the most feared repercussions, which was one of the main ways the guards would deal with anyone who fought back one too many times.

But, still. It was unsettling to see Robby so unwilling to speak up. She could tell he was mad, though — it was in his posture, the way he clenched his jaw and avoided any and all eye contact.

"Oh, come on. You know I'm just messing with you," Shawn said lightly, breaking the fragile conversation. His gaze flicked towards the guards, who hadn't moved an inch. It was clear he knew just how far he could push without getting them involved. "Just making an observation is all. We thought that girl on tv was your girl. From the fundraiser or whatever. What was her name again? Sam? And now you've got this one visiting. I don't know, it looks like you're not the only one who's confused about who he wants."

Harper frowned, silently wondering what Shawn meant by that comment. To say that she was confused was an understatement, but now wasn't the time to question it. When she glanced at Robby, he avoided her gaze. His expression mirrored the anger he was trying to restrain – his jaw clenched further, telling her that Shawn's words had hit a sore spot.

"Shut up," Robby muttered, his voice low but the anger was threaded heavily into both words.

He didn't want to fight, Harper knew that. Understood it. Yet the smirk that crossed Shawn's face was like an open invitation – a silent push for them to react. Because he had Robby right where he wanted him, and he'd make sure that he broke.

"So the karate kid does talk," Shawn commented with a low laugh, leaning forward in his chair.

Shawn was wasting precious time – time that she could spend catching up with her friend and not dealing with yet another bully who had to prove something. But if this was how Shawn acted around the guards, her chest tightened at how much worse he was when they weren't around… and what that meant for Robby. The bruises were already enough of an indication on how far Shawn was willing to go, and she doubted that he was fighting back.

She tried to control the anger, focusing on the rhythmic twisting of her bracelet to keep her from snapping. She was close, she could feel it. And what made it worse was that Robby was sitting there taking every word like he deserved it.

"Guess I hit a nerve, huh?" Shawn asked.

Harper shot him a look that was equal parts unimpressed and annoyed. "Wow, all that ego and you still can't find anyone to visit you? Must be lonely at the top, huh?"

Shawn looked from Robby to her, his grin faltering. "Careful, sweetheart. You're in my house now."

"Yeah, I'm so scared," Harper shot back, though she didn't miss the warning glance Robby shot her. Again. She knew she should stay quiet, keep her head down and hope that Shawn would eventually lose interest but that wasn't who she was. She wasn't about to let him think that he was above everyone else or that they were scared of him.

"You know, you're lucky she's here," Shawn continued, unfazed while his amusement grew. He sat back in his seat, crossing his arms as if he thought he owned the place. "Without her, I'd bet you'd fold faster than a cheap chair. Kinda like you did the other day, remember?"

"I'm warning you, Shawn. You need to shut up," Robby said, his voice still quiet and his tone controlled but filled with an undeniable anger.

Shawn laughed loudly, his voice carrying across the cold visitation room. The guards barely looked his way, their arms crossed over their chests as they minded their own business. "Scary, Keene. What're you gonna do? Wax on, wax off me to death?"

"You really don't know when to quit, do you?" Harper asked. "No one's visiting you so you're just bothering us instead? It's kinda sad, don't you think?"

"What's really sad is you keep talking like you're untouchable. I've seen girls like you before — you're putting on this tough act for him but deep down you're nothing but a scared little girl waiting for someone to save her," Shawn said, his gaze hardening as he looked at her with a crooked smile. "Isn't that right, Keene?"

"Say what you want about me, but leave her out of it," Robby said.

"Man, you're too easy," Shawn said, shaking his head. "I say one thing, and you're jumping in to save her. Kinda makes my point, though. You sure she's worth it though?"

Robby inhaled sharply, his gaze locking onto the other boy. "Keep talking. We'll see how far you get," he said, pushing back from the table and slowly rising to stand.

This was getting out of hand, and Harper knew it would end badly. If not now, then later. She should've kept her mouth shut from the start and regretted provoking Shawn. It had been to defend Robby but her comebacks had pushed the situation out of control. While Robby had stayed silent the entire time, he was now rising to the bait and it was the last thing she wanted.

Placing a hand on his arm, she shook her head firmly. "Don't. He's not worth it," she said quietly, willing for him to back down.

"She's right," Shawn said with a smugness that made her want to hit him herself. "Listen to your other girlfriend."

"She's my friend, that's all. Now back off," Robby said defensively, sitting back down. He crossed his arms, glaring at Shawn as if willing him to keep going but not once did he look in her direction.

"Oh, she's just your friend, huh?" Shawn asked, his tone mocking as he looked between them. "Yeah, sure. You know, maybe this whole girlfriend-side piece thing's flipped. I'm thinking Harper here is the main event and Sam's just the backup plan. Am I right?"

"You don't know shit about them or me. So why don't you just shut your mouth before I make you?" Robby told him.

"Seriously," Harper muttered under her breath, but they both heard her. She glanced up to find Robby staring at her with that look that begged her to keep quiet while Shawn's grin widened, telling her to keep talking. The urge to wipe that smirk off his face was growing even though it would be best to stay silent. But bullies needed to be shut down, no matter who or where they were. "I'm just saying, you should probably stop talking. I mean, all you've got are cheap words. It's not exactly making you look tough, you know. Just desperate. So unless that's what you're going for, you're doing a great job."

Shawn's smirk faltered, his amusement replaced by a cold intensity that made Harper's pulse spike. The tension in the room was palpable, every movement feeling like it might set off the ticking time-bomb waiting to explode. Almost as if in slow motion, he pushed his chair back and crossed the space to their table. He planted his ands on the table and leaned in, the faint scrap of his nails against the metal grating on her nerves. His presence loomed, suffocating, every word dripping with malice. "You've got a big mouth, sweetheart. Be a shame if someone figured out how to shut it – maybe through him," he murmured, his words coiling with malice as his gaze lingered on Robby. "Guards won't save you. They didn't last time, did they?"

"Payne, let's go!" The guard interrupted, his voice carrying across the room and cutting through the tension. His eyes took in the scene before him but he didn't seem particularly interested in what was happening – just bored. "Your visitor's not showing. Back to your cell."

Shawn straightened up, giving the guard a nod before turning back to them. His smirk was back in place, but it was heavier this time. Like a warning for the storm that was to come. "Enjoy your little heart-to-heart while you can. Next time, there won't be guards to cut me off."

The moment Shawn disappeared through the door, Harper felt like she could breathe again. She unclenched her fists, the tiny crescent marks visible from where her nails had dug in. She wiped her palms on her jeans and sat back in the chair, willing for her heart to slow down and relax. She blew out a breath, forcing herself to face Robby but his expression was hard, lined with disapproval and frustration.

"What the hell were you thinking? You know how guys like Shawn work, and you just kept pushing him," Robby said, resting his arms on the table as he stared at her.

"I just –" Harper started but stopped, not knowing what to say. "I couldn't just sit there and let him act like he's untouchable."

"Yeah, well, now I've got a target on my back so thanks for that," Robby muttered.

"It kinda looked like you already had one," Harper said, her frustration spilling into her words.

"You don't get it, do you?" He asked, his voice was cold and the words sharper than she expected. "You don't know what this place is like."

"Are you freaking kidding me? Of course I do! I've been in juvie, Robby. Twice. So, yeah, I think I kinda know how this place works," Harper said.

"So why didn't you let me handle it? I've already been dealing with Shawn for weeks," he said.

"Because you shouldn't have to deal with it. Look, I know that the number one rule in this place is to keep your head down but… sometimes you just need to stand up for yourself," Harper said, slumping back in her seat. "But I'm sorry if I made it worse. I just hated how he was getting to you."

"Maybe I didn't want your help," he said quietly, crossing his arms and actively avoiding her gaze.

"I'm sorry," she repeated quietly, tugging at her bracelet.

Harper should've known better. She'd learned in juvie to pick her battles, to keep her head down. But old habits – her need to stand up for the people she cared about – died hard, and now Robby would pay the price. It was the smartest, safest option yet she couldn't even do that. Watching Robby get knocked down by someone like Shawn unsettled her because she knew he could hold his own. Her defiance, her need to stand by her friends, had won the battle – but it might have sparked a war Robby would be left to fight alone. She'd walk out unscathed, leaving him to deal with the fallout.

"You can keep saying you're sorry, but it doesn't really mean anything when you keep picking the wrong side," Robby said after a moment, his voice quieter but still filled with a mix of anger and frustration. "I honestly don't even know why you're here, Harper. You're just trying to make yourself feel better – but that doesn't help me."

Harper blinked, caught off guard by his words. They replayed in her mind, a continuous loop of anger and what felt like resentment directed right at her. She knew she'd gone too far with Shawn but a sinking feeling told her this wasn't just about that. Robby had been closed off the moment she'd sat down at the table.

Juvie was known for breaking you — for turning you into a shell of who you once were.

While Harper could blame juvie for his sudden coldness towards her, something told her that wasn't it. Maybe it played a small part but there was more to the story. It was obvious. Even when he was frustrated, Robby had never treated her this badly. Had never raised his voice, even the first time she'd told him about her summer training sessions with Hawk. Yes, he'd been disappointed but there had been more worry than anger.

Now? Anger had a hold of him.

"You've been talking to Sam, haven't you?" Harper asked, searching his face for a crack in his stony expression. When his eyes flicked to hers, there was a hint of acknowledgment that let her know she'd been right.

Robby shrugged. "Maybe. What does it matter?"

"It matters when you're acting like an ass," Harper said, though there was no anger in her voice. "I just, I don't know, I thought that out of everyone, you wouldn't treat me like I'm the enemy."

Robby let out a sigh, leaning back in his chair as his eyes wandered around the sterile, noisy visitation room. "I'm not treating you like the enemy, Harper," he muttered, his tone weary yet sharp. "I'm just… starting to wonder if I can trust you at all."

The words hit her like a blow to the chest, stealing the air from her lungs. Her chest tightened, her breath catching as she scrambled to process what he'd just said. This wasn't Robby – not the Robby she knew. It was juvie. It was the anger, the frustration, the suffocating environment wearing him down.

"What are you talking about?" Her voice wavered, the tremor betraying the steady front she was desperately trying to hold. "You know you can trust me. I've been there for you through everything and now you're just…." She faltered, her words trailing off into the noisy room.

Her fingers fidgeted with the bracelet on her wrist, the delicate chain slipping through her fingers in a soothing, repetitive motion. It was something small, familiar – a lifeline to keep her grounded as her emotions threatened to spill over. Her throat tightened, her vision blurring as she blinked rapidly, forcing back the tears that were dangerously close to falling. She couldn't let herself break – not here, not now.

"You know I've been talking to him this whole time," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, a quiet plea for him to remember who she was. "I don't really see how this changes anything."

She twisted the chain faster, the pressure building behind her words as she fought to keep her composure. Robby didn't respond immediately, and the silence between them felt heavier than the noise around them.

"It changes everything when the guy you're hooking up with is beating up our friends and stealing money," he said, his voice sharp but cracking at the edges. For a brief second, regret flashing in his eyes before he turned away, his hands gripping the edge of the table.

"I'm still me, though," she said quietly as exhaustion pushed itself down on her. It was heavy, like a weighted blanket whose intention was to suffocate. Because no matter what she did or said, it wouldn't lessen the weight. "I've never defended what he's done. Never. But I'm so tired of saying that I'm sorry over and over again. I can't keep having this same argument every time this is brought up, Robby. I can't. Maybe you and everyone else think I made the wrong choice, and maybe I did, but it's still mine."

"Yeah, whatever. Doesn't really matter anymore." He crossed his arms and looked away, his body language telling her more than his words ever could.

Their friendship was slipping away – another casualty of her choices. It was a bitter reminder of why she'd learned to keep people at arm's length.

But it was too late for that. She'd opened her heart to family, friends and more – only to be pushed away when her choices didn't fit their idea of who she should be.

"It matters to me. You're my best friend, Robby. And maybe you don't believe that right now, but I'll always have your back," Harper said, brushing away the stray tear that slipped free. She stood up stiffly, the weight of everything clinging to her like a second skin. "Even if you don't want me around right now, I'm not going anywhere."

Robby looked past her, not even bothering to acknowledge her with a glance. It sting more than any words ever could. With a shaky sigh, Harper mumbled a quiet 'bye' before walking away, her chest heavy with worry for the boy she couldn't seem to help. The metallic clank of the door echoed behind her, but it couldn't drown out the weight of Robby's distant gaze – or the growing fear she might already be losing him.

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Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter.