The backstage door clicked shut behind Remi, and the noise of the concert felt muffled, like it was happening in another world. Her steps were quick at first, sharp against the concrete floor, but the further she went into the maze of dim corridors, the slower they got. Her breath caught in her throat. Her eyes stung. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t cry here- not where anyone could see… but the tears welled anyway, blurring the glow of the exit signs.

Barnes’s words replayed in her head with cruel clarity. Better off as friends. The finality in his voice had carved something out of her, left her hollow and raw.

She turned a corner too fast, head down, and nearly collided with someone coming the other way. “Whoa-” You steadied yourself, eyes widening when you got a proper look at her. Even under the dim fluorescent light, she was unmistakable. Remi Aguilar.

Her cheeks were wet, her dark hair clinging to them. She swiped at her face quickly, like she could erase the evidence, but her trembling hands betrayed her. You froze, recognition hitting fast and sharp. High school wasn’t even a year behind you, and here she was, the girl who had always seemed untouchable, unraveling in the middle of a backstage corridor.

“Remi…” The name slipped out before you could stop it. Her shoulders tensed at the sound of it, like she hadn’t expected anyone to notice her- let alone someone who already knew her. She kept her head down, trying to step past you, but the silence between you was louder than the concert rumble outside.

For a second, all you could do was watch her fight to hold herself together. The tears streaked her face faster than she could brush them away, her polished composure cracking at the edges. You didn’t ask her what happened. You didn’t need to. Instead, you shifted, just enough to block the empty stretch of corridor ahead. Close enough to offer a quiet refuge, far enough not to crowd her.

She faltered. Her breath hitched, shoulders trembling. And then, as if the fight drained out of her all at once, she let herself lean against the wall, sliding down until she sat with her knees pulled up, face buried in her arms.

You lowered yourself beside her, wordless. The concrete was cold beneath you both, the only sound the faint echo of music leaking through the walls and her uneven breathing. For the first time since she walked away from Barnes all those months ago, she didn’t feel completely alone.