It might have been one of the most embarrassing moments in both Sebastian and Charlottes' lives as they tried to handle the period situation like adults. Except both weren't half as grown up as they should be. As Sebastian stepped out of the shower, he didn't dare to dry Charlotte's body as he feared, the blood might stain her white towel. Charlotte on the other hand knew that there was no way, she would let him use a tampon - so she prepared a slip with a pad - and explained to Sebastian what would haunt him in the next days. Cramps, Headaches - and of course: More blood.

"And what can I do against it?", he asked. "I mean, what's the trick?"

"The trick?", Charlotte snorted. "You think, there's a trick?"

Sebastian shrugged, pulling up the slip. "I mean, period is a monthly thing, isn't it? So you can't tell me you're having cramps and headaches every month?"

Charlotte laughed. "Well, at least you learn something if we're stuck in each other's body. Too bad to tell you - there's not much you can do. Well, I try to go running when the cramps get too bad. Sports help. And when you're not able to fall asleep, you can use a hot water bottle to relax everything. But no painkiller, please. Those are for worse things." Charlotte laughed even harder when she saw Sebastian's face. He looked stressed, embarrassed and overwhelmed at the same time. She handed him some clothes and patted his back. "Go get dressed - I make you some tea and a hot water bottle."

Sebastian's plans for the day had included continuing his projects back in his room - but there was no way he would go home with the persistent rumbling in his belly. His period had appeared suddenly and he couldn't believe how fast it turned his (or Charlotte's) Whole body upside down. The tea had helped him warm up from inside but it also made him go to the toilet a lot. After he thought all of the tea had already left his body again, he discovered that not only his bladder was more active - but other parts of his digestive system as well. Only when he thought he would stay inside the bathroom the whole day, it stopped. But when he laid down on the sofa, the cramping started and he couldn't relax whatsoever.

Charlotte had offered to at least check his mail back in his old room and greet his Mum after seeing him like this - and she would have watered her plants as well when Sebastian told her to leave. For one, because he didn't want to be seen like this – and because he would have never expected everything to feel as horrible. But now it seemed impossible to go outside - yet, there was no way he could stay on the sofa as well. After the shower, he was freezing even though the farmhouse had no air conditioning. And now the sofa felt too warm to even sit on it. He was sweating, yet not able to take off his shirt or he would freeze again. There was nothing in between. How could Charlotte say that sports helped if he couldn't move properly?

When Charlotte arrived at Sebastian's home, there was no one around – she guessed Robin and Demetrius spent their Saturday outside, the weather was very nice. But she would spend this beautiful Saturday afternoon in the basement. She had promised Sebastian that she would check his emails, contact his clients and tell them he was sick. And maybe, she thought, she would be able to fix some of their smaller issues. She never regretted quitting her job in programming and moving to Pelican Town but looked forward to using these parts of her brain again. The tickling sensation she felt when there was a problem only she could solve – not because she was the best programmer in the world but because she was the one at Joja who was handed all the stuff her colleagues weren't too keen on working on. The last one in the food chain.

She turned on the pc, unlocked the Face ID and waited for everything to load. When she opened the mail account, she winced. 102 unread messages. Charlotte sighed and began to throw out any kind of newsletter, advertisement,...apartment listings? She didn't want to click. This wasn't her business. She wasn't supposed to snoop around, she just wanted to help. But why was Sebastian looking for apartments… in Zuzu of all places? Was that why his father had sent him a letter? Then, she noticed another email from a job search forum.

"New listings for your searched position as a Software Developer in Zuzu", Charlotte muttered and clicked on the very first listing that appeared. Joja Corporation. She skimmed the job description and noticed how goosebumps formed on her underarms. This was her old job. She clicked on one of the apartment listings and shook her head in disbelief as she recognised the light grey kitchen, the matching tiles on the floor and… a gruesome picture that someone had hung in the spot where a large yellowish stain had formed after water damage. She scrolled through the other images, her thoughts spiralling. This was her old life. And Sebastian was about to live it.

As illogical as it felt in Sebastian's mind, he felt better when he moved. The cramps were slightly more tolerable as he filled the watering cans around the farm. He had watered everything and enjoyed the fresh air. He let his gaze run over the fields in front of him and tried to imagine what Charlotte could do with all this land. Of course, more crops, a barn, the coop that his mum had begun to construct. Grassland where cows would relax in the sun, sheep maybe. He couldn't deny that there was much potential in this farm - but Charlotte would need to work hard to make this vision come to life. He felt his stomach growl and decided to return to the house and get himself something to eat. But when he opened the fridge, it was still empty. Of course. He sighed. He would finally need to go to Pierre's. He took the money Charlotte had left earlier. She had wanted to get them something to eat but Sebastian had asked her to leave him alone. Why didn't he let her care for him more? His hungry gut could have something to calm it down by now if he had let her.

When he opened the door and stepped onto the porch, he had the inevitable feeling of being watched. But he couldn't see anyone. However, as he took the first step onto the creaking wood, he could hear someone.

"Hello?", he shouted. It was still afternoon, the sun was high in the sky – there was no reason to feel creeped out, yet chills were running across his back. He shook his head, stepping forward and leaving the porch. When he passed the construction site of the coop, he heard it again. He decided to have a look – and was startled as he found himself face to face with Shane, who had seemingly tried to hide in the unfinished building.

"What the fuck.", Sebastian hissed as he smelled the heavy cloud of beer and cigarettes surrounding Shane. "What are you doing here?"

"Nothing", Shane slurred. "It's just… we haven't talked in… some days so I thought I might visit you."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. Shane and Charlotte were talking? He looked at Shane more closely. He was wearing a faded shirt, shorts, and worn-out shoes. The dark circles under his eyes looked even deeper than usual, and his hair stuck out wildly in all directions. And even if Sebastian hadn't already smelled the alcohol on his breath, the beer can in Shane's hand made it clear that he didn't care about societal conventions when it came to drinking too early in the day. He used to think Linus was the lost soul of Pelican Town – but in comparison to Shane, the homeless man shone brighter than the sun.

"What do you want?", Sebastian asked repeatedly and Shane's eyes narrowed.

"Oh, I understand. You're too good to…", he hiccuped "...spend Time with me. You've got better friends now." Shane's look was so disdainful that Sebastian almost felt guilty – even though he hadn't done anything. Ever since Shane had moved in with Marnie, the two of them had practically nothing to do with each other. Sebastian had quickly decided that Shane was nothing more than a sad alcoholic – and looking at him now only seemed to reinforce that assumption. But he was also curious to learn more about what Charlotte, of all people, saw in him.

"Shane, stop talking bullshit. You want to come inside?", Sebastian asked and wondered, whether this was something Charlotte would say. Judging by Shane's puzzled look, it wasn't. Nevertheless, he nodded and followed Sebastian into the farmhouse.

Inside, Sebastian took two glasses out of the kitchen cabinet and filled them with water. He placed them on the table and sat down facing Shane, who looked around the room. So he hadn't been in Charlotte's house before.

"Drink.", Sebastian pointed at the glass of water. Shane shrugged, grabbed the glass but didn't sip.

"So why did you want to see me?", Sebastian asked and tried to be as calm as possible. Shane was agitated enough.

"It's getting worse.", he mumbled and looked down at the tabletop. When Sebastian didn't reply, he continued. "You know, you told me about your brother and stuff – and I tried to get better. Really. But how is anybody supposed to get better in this shithole?" As Shane's rage grew, his face turned slightly red. But Sebastian felt some kind of sympathy growing in him. Pelican Town was kind of a shithole after all.

"You're not in therapy, are you?"

"Oh, please don't start with therapy again. Where the hell am I supposed to find a therapist around here? Or do you want me to blow my entire paycheck on bus rides to Zuzu, just so someone can tell me how freaking messed up I am?" Shane hissed. He was still slurring slightly but at least managed to take a sip of water. So Charlotte and Shane had been talking for a while. What did he mean, she told him about her brother? Sebastian didn't have a clue she even had one. At this moment, he noticed that Charlotte didn't have any kind of family photos or other personal things in her house.

"You're right.", Sebastian said. "You shouldn't change anything. Continue drinking and shovel yourself an early grave." Shane's look grew even gloomier.

"Normally, you'd try to reassure me. Give me hope," Shane replied, still avoiding Sebastian's gaze.
"Yeah, maybe I'm starting to realize that doesn't seem to work with you. You don't want to change – and I can't force you to. That's something you'll have to do on your own if it's ever going to happen." Shane's mouth twitched upward in a faint smirk.
"Do I look like someone who forces himself to do anything?" His tongue was still heavy, but he was beginning to speak more clearly. He finished his glass of water, and Sebastian got up to get him another one.
"Not really. But you also don't seem like someone who wants to die. Your life might be crap – but death isn't going to be any better." Shane looked at Sebastian thoughtfully.
"Why do you think that?"
"Well – there's just nothing. No Yoba or anyone else, just a black void. Sure, maybe you won't feel like crap anymore – but I can't think of anything more boring than eternity. And there's no beer there, either." Sebastian didn't know why he was engaging in this conversation so deeply. But at least it distracted him from the cramp in his stomach.

Shane was about to respond when the door suddenly swung open. Charlotte had returned, pushing the door wide with a flourish.

"I've got food and I'm STARVING and you won't believe what I…Shane?", she startled as she entered her house.

"What the fuck is he doing here?", Shane hissed and all the sympathy that had grown in Sebastian disappeared.

He pushed aside the unfamiliar feeling forming in his stomach as Charlotte rushed toward Shane.
"Shane, are you okay? You don't look well," she called out, seemingly forgetting that she was in Sebastian's body. She moved to grab Shane, as she'd done many times before. She didn't hug him but tried to apply pressure, grounding him, helping him feel that he was still in his body and not trapped in his mind. But this time, Shane didn't let it get that far.

He jumped up from his chair, ready to storm out of the house. Charlotte grabbed him, determined to talk him down, to calm him – but Shane was faster.

Sebastian realized too late what was happening as he saw Shane's fist connect with his face. Stunned, he stared at Shane as Charlotte crumpled to the floor. He rushed to her side, kneeling next to her. When she looked up at him with tears in her eyes, Shane had already slammed the door behind him.