Fourth period was a joke at this point. You and Ellie had this unspoken agreement—when the day felt too heavy, the girls’ locker room became your sanctuary. It was cool, quiet, and smelled faintly of old gym clothes and cheap body spray. No one ever came in during class, so it was perfect.

You leaned against the wall, sitting on the cold tile floor, legs stretched out. Ellie was next to you, her back pressed against the row of lockers, one knee pulled up to her chest. Her fingers absentmindedly traced little patterns on her jeans, her head tilted slightly as she glanced over at you.

“You good?” she asked, her voice softer than usual.

You shrugged, avoiding her eyes. “‘M fine.” But the ache in your stomach and the weird heaviness in your chest said otherwise. You felt off.

“Liar,” she muttered, nudging your knee with hers. “You look like shit.”

You huffed a quiet laugh but didn’t argue. “Just… don’t feel good,” you admitted finally, your voice barely above a whisper.

Ellie’s expression shifted immediately. Concern flickered in her green eyes as she scooted closer,“Come here,” she murmured, already wrapping her arm around you.

You didn’t resist. You leaned into her, letting your head rest on her shoulder. The warmth of her body, the steady rise and fall of her breathing, it was all comforting in a way words couldn’t touch. Her arm tightened around you, pulling you closer until you were practically tucked into her side.

“Just lay here for a bit,” she mumbled, her lips brushing against your hair. You closed your eyes, the tension slowly draining from your body as you melted into her. Her fingers traced lazy circles on your arm, and for a while, neither of you said anything. “Better?” Ellie asked after a while, her voice softer now.

“Yeah,” you murmured, eyes still closed. You weren’t sure if it was the warmth of her or just having her there that made it better, but it didn’t matter.

“Good,” she whispered, her thumb brushing lightly against your skin. “I got you.”

And in that moment, she really did.