Drip.

I could hear crying. It was mostly sniffles, but it was obvious that whoever it was had been bawling. At the least. I rolled my head to the right, feeling. I could feel warm fingers running through my hair. Comfort. The fingers moved to my face, pressing against wetness. Was I crying, or were they?

“Lee?” It was quiet.

I nodded, it felt like it was the best I could do.

“Thank God,” the whisper was relieved. “Arielle!” No more whispering. It was Z. I felt stupid, like I should have known, because I should have. How could I have forgotten. I reached a hand up and found his shoulder. The warm fingertips left my face, but they met my hand only moments later. I smiled.

“Yeah?” Arielle could be heard moving, breath stopped short over myf ace. I smiled, making my lips crack. I grimaced and licked over them, tasting the saltwater of tears. Was I honestly crying? I moaned and the sound that crawled out of my throat was gross. “Oh,” she gasped.

Small arms wrapped tightly around my shoulders and I groaned again. Ouch. Could they just not touch me for a while? Z’s hand tightened around mine.

“Not so tight, Ari,” he whispered.

“Shut up,” she bit back, but with a giggle in her voice.

“What... what’s happening?” Sniffles mumbled from far away.

“What?” a new voice groaned and you could tell she’d been asleep. What about her Britnay? What about her?

“Go back to sleep,” Z muttered, too low for them to hear. Ari finally let go of me and could be heard pushing herself backwards. Back to where she’d been.

And then, there was a lot of movement. A bunch of people came forward and I could feel them around me.

It’s kind of funny how people can depend on their eyes so much, but after a long enough time they don’t need them. Facial expressions can be found through voices. Movement seen through the rough sound the clothes made from rubbing against the cold cement. They can’t see either, but you can feel their eyes on you. You can feel their hands and the warmth of their bodies if they’re too close. You can feel their breath when they whisper in your ear. You can feel the surroundings. I knew I was laying in my corner. I could just tell because it had the right feeling. Who needs eyes anyway?

Soft and freezing fingers touched my neck. It burnt. My neck was so hot and swollen and most likely bruised that her cold fingers burnt me. I cried out in pain and then whimpered.

Then I was confused. Was it even possible for the cold to burn you?

“She’s alive?!” Oh God. I could see the rage coming. They must have told her I was dead. Oh God. I’m dead now. “Why?!” I bet she was pulling her hair out now. Britnay must have been my Sniffles, but why would she have been crying? Guilt? Oh God. I am so dead. I’m six feet under the ground. “You have got to be kidding me.”

Not thinking Z pulled my arm so I was sitting up then wrapped an arm around my waist to pull me into him. He held me tighter than Ari had. “Ouch,” I grumbled.

“Sorry,” he whispered close to my ear.

“She’s alive?!”

“I thought we’d already figured it out,” Ari muttered. I’m sure she had hands held over her ears from the sound all of them were making.

“I just-”

“I guess I forgot you all didn’t share a brain,” Ari cut her off, putting a hand up, whether we could see it or not. I only knew it was there because from my time in this hell hole you’d think I’d know a girl.

“Shut up!” Britnay screeched. From the comfort of Z’s body I felt so much more confident.

“You’re the one making all the noise,” I mumbled, holding a hand to my forehead. She growled.

“Why are you so angry anyway?” Z asked tauntingly. I turned myself so I was basically facing him and pushed my head into his shoulder.

Drip.

I tried to push myself behind Z for comfort.

Drip.

Silence wouldn’t last long, I could feel it. Soon she would be lashing out at me. I was sure of it.

Drip.

“Oh! Oh! Oh! I know! I know!” Ari yelled. I could just imagine watching her jump up and down with a hand raised high. “Pick me!”

“Go!” Z yelled back with the same sarcastic enthusiasm.

“She felt guilty,” Ari stated matter-of-factly. Maybe I was the only one to catch it, but I detected a slight edge to her voice.

Drip.

“She felt guilty because she’s an idiot and just realized that Leah is a good person.” I dug my head farther into Z’s shoulder. I didn’t like this or where it was headed. It was like I wasn’t there.

Drip.

“And you know what else?” he said it so quietly, but with so much anger that I physically shuddered against him. He held my tighter to him, making it almost impossible to breathe. “She deserved every little bit of it.”

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

It seemed to go faster in the thick silence.

Then again...

“Guys,” I rasped. Z loosened his tight hold on me. “I think I have an idea.”