Nic had been this way for as long as he could remember, always giving so much of himself without getting anything in return. After the incident with Freddie stalking him while he was leaving the studio he was extra vigilant whenever he was locking up. He couldn't risk another incident like that, especially not with how unbalanced Freddie already was.

Nic had thought he'd given this nasty habit up, but sitting in the studio looking up at his mother, who was looking down at him with an expression that wasn't disdain, or pity, or disgrace. She spoke soothing words, but they were hollow, robotic. Nic tried to fight the angry feeling down, but he knew that it wasn't real.

None of it was real, he was losing it. He couldn't differentiate what was real or fake anymore, his Roommate was already starting to get suspicious. He had recently found him slumped in the hallway from exhaustion after a particularly distressing call from his mother. Nic felt tears welling in his eyes as he leaned against the dance studio mirrors, "Why can't everybody just leave me alone?..."